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30 Healthy Cholesterol Tips
Tips on managing high cholesterol and keeping your heart
healthy.
1. Find more ways to walk. Can you walk to the store for milk?
Park farther away? Takethe stairs? If you can move more, DO!
Physical activity is vital to heart health.
2. Eat six or more small meals a day. A large study of British
adults found that peoplewho ate six or more times a day had lower
cholesterol than those who ate twice a day, eventhough the
"grazers" got more calories and fat!
3. Fix all your sandwiches on whole grain bread. Eating more
complex carbs, likewhole grain bread and brown rice, can increase
HDL levels slightly and significantly lowertriglycerides, another
type of blood fat that contributes to heart disease.
4. Say cheese! Women who ate a serving a day (about the size of
four dice) had higherHDL (good cholesterol) and lower LDL (bad)
than those who ate less, according to a study at
Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem,
North Carolina.
5. No laughing matter. A recent study showed that diabetes
patients who watched funnysitcoms for 30 minutes, along with their
standard meds, reduced their heart risksubstantially: They had
about a 26 percent increase in HDL ("good" cholesterol),
comparedwith a bump of just 3 percent among patients in the control
group.
6. Brew it better. If you're worried about cholesterol, stick to
paper-filtered and instantcoffees. Unfiltered coffees, which are
typically made with a French press, contain more of
acholesterol-raising substance called cafestol.
7. Make the move to nonfat milk. If you drink whole milk, switch
to 2 percent. If youalready drink 2 percent, move to 1 percent. If
you drink 1 percent, you're ready for nonfat.
8. Start with soup. Studies show that folks who begin their
meals with soup end up eatingfewer calories by the end of the day
without feeling hungrier. Give it a try with a broth-based
soup.
9. Bag some barley. Thanks to its impressive stash of soluble
fiber, which slows thedigestion of food and the rise of blood
sugar, barley is much friendlier to blood sugar thanrice for most
people. And it lowers cholesterol to boot.
10. Start three days this week with oatmeal, a proven
cholesterol-reducer. Use the old-fashioned or quick-cooking kind,
not instant.
11. Sip a cup of black tea every four hours. Government
scientists found that three weeksof drinking five cups a day of
black tea reduced cholesterol levels in people with mildly
highlevels.
12. Berry good news. Adults who ate about a cup of berries a day
lowered their bloodpressure and raised their HDL (good) cholesterol
after eight weeks, according to a newstudy from Finland.
13. Pay attention to fiber. Studies find that eating 10 to 30
grams of soluble fiber a day --much more than the average American
eats -- reduces LDL about 10 percent. Aim to upyour intake slowly
though, otherwise you may experience some bloating and
flatulence.
14. The use of medication doesn't have to be permanent. If you
improve your diet andincrease your activity level, you may reduce
your cholesterol enough to get off themedication and stay off
it!
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15. Add half a tablespoon of cinnamon to your coffee before
starting the pot. A Pakistanistudy found that 6 grams cinnamon a
day (about 1/2 tablespoon) reduced LDL cholesterol inpeople with
type 2 diabetes by nearly 30 percent.
16. Try turmeric. Small studies have found that curcumin, a
component of turmeric, cutscholesterol. Heat a little oil in a saut
pan, and toss in a tablespoon of turmeric, a dash ofsalt, and a
generous pinch of black pepper (pepper can increase your uptake of
curcumin by
up to 2,000 percent). Stir for a minute, then add veggies and
lean protein for a healthy,sunny dish.
17. Pop edamame as a snack. Just half a cup contains nearly 4
grams fiber, not tomention the soy isoflavones in these soybeans.
Consumption of both has been linked tolower cholesterol.
18. Fall in love with olive oil. A study found that people who
consumed about 2tablespoons of virgin olive oil daily for just one
week had lower LDL and higher levels ofantioxidants in their
blood.
19. Put your pizza on a diet. Order a veggie pie with extra
vegetables. Or, if you musthave meat on your pizza, make it chicken
or ham, not pepperoni. Or try clams, shrimp, oranchovies!
20. Practice deep breathing four times a week for two to four
minutes. Use this techniquewhen you're faced with a stressful
situation to mitigate your body's reactions.
21. Take as prescribed. If you need cholesterol medication,
statins are generallyprescribed first, but your doctor may also
suggest bile acid sequestrants, fibrates orprescription niacin, all
of which will help.
22. Make healthy eating easy. If time's an issue, buy
"semiprepared" foods. Someexamples: boneless, skinless chicken
breast; broccoli and cauliflower florets; and baggedsalad.
23. Bag the butter. Dip breads in olive oil instead, or try a
sterol-based spread. In thekitchen, try replacing butter with olive
or canola oil.
24. Make meals picture-perfect. On days when you don't have
salad, add a piece of fruitto your lunch. Or better yet, have fruit
at lunch and salad with dinner.
25. Get creative with vegetables. Throw frozen veggies (no need
to defrost!) intosoups.
26. Step to it. Try to get at least 2,000 steps a day just
through everyday activities, likevacuuming and gardening. Make it
easy and check out a sports store for a pedometer.
27. Bored with your walks? Invite a friend to break up the
tedium or try a new route --both can make for a more enjoyable
experience, and time will go much faster.
28. Lower stress levels with an enjoyable hobby. Can't think of
one? Jot down yourfavorite childhood pastimes, then find one you
can transfer to your adult life. For instance, ifyou loved to draw,
find a drawing class nearby and sign yourself up!
29. Sprinkle wheat germ or flaxseed (both rich in omega-3 fatty
acids) over salads,yogurt, and cereal.
30. Set the alarm on your computer to go off once an hour. This
is your signal to get upand take a short, five-minute walk.
