High cholesterol and high blood pressure, frequently present no symptoms but both of these silent killers put you at increased risk of heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular conditions. Fortunately, your doctor can detect both conditions with simple tests and you can control your cholesterol and blood pressure levels by making lifestyle changes.
Cholesterol and Blood Pressure
Your body contains two types of cholesterol: low-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein. LDL, often called bad cholesterol, clogs your arteries, while HDL is the good cholesterol that prevents clogging. Your blood pressure refers to the force placed on your arteries when blood circulates in your body. A doctor or nurse measures your blood pressure at two times, when your heart is in contraction mode and when your heart muscle relaxes. These two measurements, systolic and diastolic pressure, indicate the ability of your blood to reach vital organs such as your heart and brain.
Effects of Food
Your body makes all of the LDL cholesterol it needs. So you don't need to eat any foods that contain cholesterol. Your consumption of animal products may push your LDL levels to unhealthy limits. Your diet and weight also affect the production of another type of blood fat called triglycerides. Technically not cholesterol, the fat in triglycerides can also clog your arteries. Overconsumption of sugar and alcohol may elevate your triglycerides. If your diet contains too much salt, this could raise your blood pressure. Even if you don't salt your food, you can get more than you need by dining at restaurants and eating processed foods.
Reduce Blood Pressure
Foods to avoid to reduce blood pressure include any that contain sodium. If you're overweight, shedding pounds can help reduce your blood pressure, so also restrict your intake of high-calorie foods, including sweets and fats. You can also add foods to your diet to control hypertension or high blood pressure. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet includes eating fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy. The DASH diet includes whole grain, poultry, fish and nuts.
Reduce Cholesterol
To lower your LDL cholesterol, eat less red meat and other fatty protein, including organ meats, egg yolks and whole milk products. You should also avoid trans fats found in margarine and hydrogenated vegetable oil. Try cooking and baking with monounsaturated fats such as olive oil instead. You can tell the difference between healthy and unhealthy fats by putting them in the refrigerator. Fats that harden can clog your arteries. Fat that remain in liquid form can help clean your arteries. Foods to add to a cholesterol-reducing diet include foods that contain soluble fiber such as oatmeal and apples. Vegetable protein found in legumes and kidney beans can also help restore your LDL cholesterol to healthy levels. To improve your HDL cholesterol, get moving. A sedentary lifestyle adversely affects your HDL levels, but exercise can improve your numbers and health.
