Did you know that good cholesterol (HDL), bad cholesterol (LDL) and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) are lipoproteins, that is, a combination of fats and proteins?
5 tricks on how to lower cholesterol with a proper diet
1. Avoid foods rich in cholesterol
Foods rich in saturated fats and cholesterol have no place in a diet to lower cholesterol. Therefore the first step is to avoid these. Not all fats are rich in cholesterol, so it is important to distinguish these from others necessary in a balanced and healthy diet.
The easiest way to do this is to avoid animal fats . Foods such as bacon, fatty sausages or fattier and juicier cuts of meat such as bacon or ribs should not be part of your diet if you are thinking about how to lower cholesterol. It is also advisable that you avoid the consumption of butter, cream and fatty cheeses .
2. Learn about the best foods to lower cholesterol and include them in your regular diet
Foods rich in soluble fiber help lower cholesterol . Increasing your intake of these and vegetable protein is also key to achieving this goal. Some foods meet the necessary conditions to be especially interesting in a diet to lower cholesterol. We tell you what they are and the best way to include them in your regular diet.
1. Avocado: Thanks to its richness in soluble fiber and polyunsaturated fatty acids, as well as stanols and sterols, it is one of the best foods to lower LDL cholesterol, also known as bad cholesterol. But this does not mean that you should abuse its consumption. Don’t have more than one avocado per day. Even half is a good amount. Ideally, you should make it at midday as a salad or as a side dish. Mashed with a fork it can be a delicious healthy sauce.
2. Whole grains: If you are thinking about how to lower cholesterol through diet, don’t stop consuming whole grains . You can include whole grain oats in your breakfast to start the day off right. Between 70 and 100gm is an adequate amount that you can eat in porridge or oatmeal pancakes. With this you will cover almost 70% of your body’s need for fiber. Fruits, vegetables and other whole grains in the form of bread or grains will be enough to fully cover your needs.
3. Nuts: You may be surprised that these high-fat foods are cholesterol-lowering foods. These, on the one hand, reduce LDL cholesterol and increase HDL cholesterol, also called good cholesterol. 40gm of nuts per day is an optimal amount in a diet to lower cholesterol. Of course, they must be raw, never fried or salted. The ideal is to consume them at breakfast.
4. Legumes: The consumption of legumes is key for anyone considering how to lower cholesterol. You can take them three times a week, preferably at midday meal. But not all legumes are equally suitable in this case. Soybeans, peas and lentils are best for your cholesterol-lowering goal . Of course, combine them with vegetables and avoid making them in traditional dishes rich in saturated fats, which as we have already pointed out should not be part of a diet to lower cholesterol.
3. Eat fruit and vegetables daily
5 daily servings of fruits and vegetables are recommended to lower cholesterol. Green leafy vegetables and fruits such as watermelon are among the most suitable for this purpose. In addition, they are light foods that will help you feel good and control your weight.
4. Include foods rich in essential fatty acids in your diet daily
Did you know that these contain an enzyme that helps reduce cholesterol production? Foods such as oily fish, flax and chia seeds, and sprouted alfalfa should be part of your weekly diet.
5. Eat foods rich in lycopene daily
Tomato, watermelon, guava and grapefruit are some of them. Lycopene is another of the natural cholesterol inhibitors . For this reason, they are recommended to anyone who wonders how to lower their body’s cholesterol.
How to lower cholesterol with physical exercise
Sport activates the metabolism and promotes fat burning. This is key to helping reduce cholesterol. Therefore, changes in diet must be accompanied by the practice of physical exercises to lower cholesterol. These exercises are of great relevance and will help you boost that initial drop but also help your body maintain the appropriate cholesterol level for your good health.
Physical exercises to lower cholesterol in women with a sedentary life
If you are wondering what is the best exercise to lower cholesterol, the answer is one that helps you burn fat regularly and allows you to keep your metabolism active. If until now you have led a sedentary life and you know that exercising lowers cholesterol, don’t worry that you need to do demanding routines from day one. The important thing is that you start leading a more active life.
Walking is a good exercise to start with. You can do it daily, increasing the time and pace of your steps as you gain shape. The WHO (World Health Organization) recommends walking at least 10,000 steps every day.
Swimming and dancing are also two good physical activities for those who are considering how to lower cholesterol and are not used to doing sports. Another good way to start from scratch are exercise routines to do at home or in the gym designed to activate the metabolism and improve blood circulation.
Physical exercises for active people who want to lower cholesterol
Exercising lowers cholesterol and if you already lead an active life and suffer from hypercholesterolemia, this should be more intense to help you achieve your goals. Running on the street or on a treadmill is a good option. Also practice spinning. You can practice any of these exercises three or four days a week , alternating days of exercise with days of rest and recovery.
Combining strength and resistance exercises helps you in the short, medium and long term to achieve and maintain optimal blood cholesterol levels. If you like to train in the gym it will be great for you because there you will find devices and machines to work the body in a comprehensive way, burning calories and developing muscles.
If you don’t know how to lower cholesterol and are worried about whether you can achieve it, take note of all these tips. A diet to lower cholesterol combined with the need to do physical exercises to lower cholesterol will allow you to achieve your goals and keep your body at adequate levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood.
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