Lifestyle changes can lower your risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke by lowering unhealthy cholesterol levels. Excess cholesterol can clog the arteries and partially or completely block blood flow to the heart. LDL cholesterol forms plaques on the insides of arterial walls, which narrow blood vessels. HDL cholesterol picks up excess cholesterol and brings it to the liver where it leaves the body as waste. Keeping your LDL cholesterol low and your HDL cholesterol high is best for your health.
Exercise
Staying physically active can raise healthy HDL cholesterol and lower LDL levels. Regular exercise also controls your weight to reduce your chance of developing heart disease by lowering blood pressure and keeping the heart pumping efficiently. Exercise also reduces stress, which is a contributor to heart disease. Getting at least 30 minutes of moderately intense physical activity provides cholesterol-lowering benefits. Jogging or playing your favorite sport provides benefits, but even walking, riding a bike or gardening improves cholesterol levels.
Reduce Fats
Avoid foods high in saturated and trans fats, which raise LDL cholesterol levels. Saturated fats come mainly from animal products. Choose lean meats, poultry without skin and fish to lower your fat intake. Replace whole-milk dairy products with low-fat and fat-free dairy foods. Avoid butter, bacon fat, gravy and creamy sauces. Reduce or eliminate trans fats from your diet. Trans fats raise LDL cholesterol and lower healthy HDL cholesterol. Commercially packaged snack foods and French fries or other fried foods in restaurants contain trans fats.
Preparation
When cooking at home, broil or bake meat, poultry and fish, and avoid fried foods. Cut all visible fat from meat and skin from poultry. Use olive and canola oils, which contain healthy monounsaturated fats, for your foods. Flavor dishes with herbs and spices.
Fruit and Vegetable Protection
Eat plenty of fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, which digest rapidly and prevent weight gain to protect you from high cholesterol. They provide healthy sources of vitamins and minerals and have low amounts of fat, calories, sodium and cholesterol. MedlinePlus recommends eating five or more servings a day. Eating lots of fruits and vegetables helps you avoid fatty foods that raise LDL cholesterol.
Whole Grains
Whole grains include whole-wheat bread, cereal and pasta, brown rice, peas, potatoes, corn and lima beans. Low in fat and cholesterol, whole grains contain high fiber that is digested easily for healthy weight management. Whole grains also provide you with a full feeling after eating, but they do not have the negative effects, such as indigestion and weight gain, as fatty foods do.
