According to the American Heart Association, an estimated 98.6 million Americans over the age of 20 have cholesterol levels over 200 mg/dl, the diagnostic threshold for hypercholesterolemia. Several easy, yet effective ways are out there to lower cholesterol before it becomes a problem.
Step 1
Make an appointment with your physician for a complete physical exam, including a comprehensive lipid analysis that includes total cholesterol, low density lipoproteins (LDL, or bad cholesterol), high density lipoproteins (HDL, or good cholesterol) and triglycerides. File these results away for future reference.
Step 2
Pick up a box of plain oatmeal the next time you're at the grocery store. Make plans to begin swapping your traditional breakfasts of ham and eggs for an ounce and a half of oatmeal, topped with fresh fruit. Oatmeal contains soluble fiber that has been shown to reduce you LDL cholesterol levels and your risk for heart disease.
Step 3
Add walnuts, almonds and other types of nuts into salads and other meals. According to the Food and Drug Administration, as little as an ounce and a half of nuts and seeds can reduce your risk for heart disease. Certain types of nuts include omega-3 fatty acids, which can reduce your LDL cholesterol.
Step 4
Serve fish to your family two to three times per week instead of beef or other high fat meats. Like nuts, certain types of cold water fish such as mackerel, tuna, salmon and sardines contain omega-3 fatty acids that raise your HDL cholesterol and lower your risk for heart disease. If you don't care for fish, you can buy omega-3 fatty acids in supplemental form at your local supermarket or health food store. The recommended dosage is 1,000 to 2,000 mg per day.
Step 5
Use olive oil instead of butter or lard when cooking. Olive oil contains antioxidants that can lower your LDL cholesterol without lowering your HDL cholesterol. According to the Food and Drug Administration, you'll need approximately 0.8 ounces a day of olive oil to benefit from its effect. Try using olive-oil-based salad dressing to baste meat and poultry instead of butter.
Things You'll Need
- Fresh fruits and vegetables
- Oatmeal and oatbran
- Nuts and seeds
- Fresh fish
- Omega-3 Supplements
- Olive oils
