Jam asked:


If you want to lower your cholesterol levels, following an ideal diet may be able to help you a lot. It has been known for a long time now that the food a person eats or is accustomed to eating daily can have a direct relation in the body’s cholesterol levels.

And it is important for people to lower their cholesterol levels because cholesterol has been associated with the development of coronary heart disease. The higher the level of blood cholesterol levels in an individual, the more likely it is that he will be developing heart disease later on. Aside from that high cholesterol levels can also put a person at risk of suffering from a stroke or a heart attack.

Aside from using drugs to lower cholesterol levels, following a low cholesterol diet is the next best thing to keep your cholesterol levels down. Eating more vegetables, soy products and other low cholesterol foods can be just as effective at reducing blood cholesterol as medication. A study has been able to show that a vegetarian diet can lower cholesterol by as much as one-third in just a month.

The best cholesterol-lowering diet that you can follow usually includes a hearty serving of vegetables such as broccoli and red peppers. Soymilk and soy sausages, oat bran cereal and bread as well as plenty of fruits and nuts make up a complete low cholesterol diet. Soy protein, nuts, and fiber rich food such as oats and barley can effectively cut cholesterol levels by up to seven percent.

A low cholesterol diet also requires you to minimize your intake of saturated fat by seven percent and other fat substances by 25-35 percent. It has been discovered that the best diet for avoiding coronary heart disease includes consuming non-hydrogenated (unprocessed) fats rather than the hydrogenated variety. Increased consumption of omega-3 fats from fish, fish oil or plant sources such as flaxseeds is the suggested fat intake in a low cholesterol diet. With a low cholesterol diet, one should also limit daily sodium intake somewhere in the level of 2400 milligrams daily.

A typical day on the low cholesterol diet would include a hearty breakfast of soymilk, oat bran cereal with chopped fruit and almonds, oatmeal bread, vegetable-based margarine and jam. A typical low cholesterol lunch would comprise of soy cold cuts, oat bran bread, bean soup and a dessert of fruit. For dinner, stir-fry vegetables, tofu, fruit and almonds would be the usual low cholesterol diet fare. Following this type of low cholesterol diet religiously for long periods, it is possible for one’s cholesterol level to drop by as much as 29 percent in just a month.



South Beach Diet

.skjceuafrepiuahfpoefhpieuaf asked:


When we have food in system is cholesterol higher than the fasting level??

Vitamin K

Christo Fouche asked:


Throughout the world today thousands of people are dying of high cholesterol which is the leading cause of heart disease and high blood pressure. What then exactly is Cholesterol and how does it affect you?

Cholesterol is fatty molecule which is produced by your system and then dispersed throughout your body.

All Cholesterol is not bad and often you hear people talk about good cholesterol and bad cholesterol. But why do you need to lower your cholesterol? When you’re Cholesterol levels get too high the fatty substance blocks the arteries and your blood pressure raises. This in return causes heart disease and will eventually lead to a premature death.

In order to live a healthier life, you need to lower your Cholesterol levels. First of all you need to check with your medical practitioner, by means of a cholesterol blood test, to see what the levels are. Once you have checked your cholesterol levels and confirmed that they are too high, you need to take some actions towards lowering your cholesterol levels. Following these steps as a preventative measure is also a good idea.

There are a few ways of doing it and the first and foremost way of doing this is by starting with a good low cholesterol diet. Although you can inherit cholesterol, it is mostly bad eating habits which cause high cholesterol.

You need to choose foods which are low in unsaturated fats. There are many foods which are low in unsaturated fats and will help you to lower your cholesterol. Fruit, Vegetables and fish are good and healthy food types which will help you to lower your cholesterol fast.

Food types which you need too avoid, or at least limit, when you want to lower your cholesterol are red meat, milk, cheese and other dairy products. Dairy products are very high in Cholesterol.

Dieting is a means of lowering your cholesterol, but there are also other factors to consider like exercise. A good exercise program is a great way to reduce the fat in your body.

I have changed my own lifestyle to a low fat lifestyle and I can still remember that when I first decided to change my lifestyle, I did not necessarily exercised much more at first, but I just became more active. I would go for long walks along the beach, and climbed up a mountain now and then. I started to walk the five blocks down to the post office instead of taking the car.

In a period of 5 months I have lost 12 kilograms, which is about 26 pounds, and I have never picked it up again. I must admit it feels great to not have to carry all that weight around every day.

The point that I want to make is that if you want to lower your cholesterol, you do not need to go through some strenuous exercise program. Just take a look around yourself and find the small things that you can do.

Lowering your Cholesterol is in your own best interest and in the interest of your loved ones. Make a wise decision today. Decide to lower your cholesterol levels.



Weight Loss Journal

Razwell R asked:


Are you aware that the Maasai of Kenya eat TREMENDOUS AMOUNTS of saturated fat and cholesterol and have one of the LOWEST cholesterol levels in the world.

ANOTHER PILLAR OF THE CHOLESTEROL HYPOTHESIS DESTROYED!!!!!!!!

South Beach Diet

Nick Mutt asked:


Foods rich in fibre play an important role in maintaining good health and fitness. In this article we will discuss how does fibre lower cholesterol? We all know that vegetables, fruits and grains are high in fibre so it is important to increase their intake in order to lower cholesterol.

Vegetables are perfect cholesterol lowering food because they are low in calorie-content. They can be prepared in so many ways and are perfect to avoid consuming foods that are high in cholesterol. Eating vegetables can also reduce the risks of certain cancers, heart disease and high blood pressure.

Fruits are also helpful in lowering cholesterol level. They are effective to fight cholesterol because these are low in calories. Grains have high-energy content and high dietary fibre content, and are considered useful in lowering cholesterol. Grains especially whole grains are effective food for weight management as well as in controlling cholesterol levels.

Meats such as chicken or turkey, fish, red meats that are lean are good cholesterol lowering foods. Lean meats are high in essential minerals, protein, vitamins, and micronutrients that are good for efficient metabolism.

Low cholesterol diet –

If you want to lower your cholesterol levels, following an ideal low cholesterol diet may be able to help you a lot.

Breakfast – Soymilk, oat bran cereal with chopped fruit and almonds, oatmeal bread and vegetable-based margarine.

Lunch – Soy cold cuts, oat bran bread, bean soup and a dessert of fruit

Dinner – Stir-fry vegetables, fruit and almonds would be the usual low cholesterol diet fare

Make sure to follow this type of low cholesterol diet for a long period of time, rather than a day or two.

Note: Remember these natural treatments can’t replace your medication to lower cholesterol but can only support your treatment.

Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.

Copyright © Nick Mutt, All Rights Reserved. If you want to use this article on your website or in your ezine, make all the urls (links) active.

Looking for some more home remedies for high blood cholesterol? Check out the biggest home remedies website and find effective home remedies for high blood pressure to control high blood pressure and reduce level.



Weight Loss Journal

Jack O asked:


I got my blood test back from the lab and found out that my LDL cholesterol levels were borderline from being over the limit. I think your max is 130 but i measured 133. What can i do to get my levels lower? Thanks.

Chemotherapy

armie asked:


I already started taking both medicines. I had my blood chem last week. My triglycerides level is very high 318 MG/DL and cholesterol level is 220 MG/DL. HDL is low 32MG/DL. Also when should I have my next blood chem taken? Thanks.

The Biggest Loser

Julia Carmichael asked:


The need to lower cholesterol arises because the presence of excess cholesterol in blood serum can lead to a whole range of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. These diseases include high blood pressure, narrowing and hardening of arteries, heart disease, stroke, and paralysis.

These diseases spring up because the liver dumps excess cholesterol on the inner arterial walls. Later, these fatty deposits harden up to form a plaque, thus narrowing the arteries and obstructing blood flow to the heart and other organs. Other diseases can also result if the affected arteries normally supply blood to organs other than the heart and brain.

The good news, however, is that it is possible to lower cholesterol simply by making some therapeutic lifestyle changes (TLC) and following a healthy TLC diet. In fact, these measures are the first line of defense against hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol). If the TLC measures don’t reduce your cholesterol level enough, then your doctor could prescribe cholesterol-lowering drugs like statins.

The most important lifestyle changes you must make to lower your cholesterol are:

Reduce excess body weight

Exercise regularly

Follow the TLC diet

Quit smoking

Excess body weight because of obesity not only increases the overall cholesterol level but also reduces the protective HDL (high-density lipoproteins) cholesterol, making the problem of high cholesterol worse. HDL is responsible for the transport of excess cholesterol from the tissues and arteries back to the liver for breakdown and disposal and therefore some people call it the good cholesterol.

Regular physical activity, especially aerobics, plays a twofold role in lowering cholesterol. First, it reduces obesity; second, it increases the HDL level. In other words, fat loss causes a drop in the total cholesterol, and your body does a better job of lowering your cholesterol because of the higher HDL level. A moderate-intensity aerobic activity like walking, cycling, dancing or swimming for 30-40 minutes, 5 days a week is an effective way to lower cholesterol.

Your diet plays a direct role in keeping your cholesterol levels. The richer the diet is in cholesterol, saturated fats and trans fats, the higher will be the cholesterol levels. While the liver makes most of the cholesterol in your body, cholesterol that comes from the foods you eat does play an important role.

In fact, for many people, a diet rich in soluble fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, when combined with regular exercise, can just as effectively lower cholesterol as do statin drugs. You would normally get these healthy nutrients from like oats, walnuts, almonds, fresh fruits and vegetables, beans, whole grains, cold-water fish, olive oil, peanut oil, and canola oil. On the other hand, this diet would exclude red meats, alcohol, fried foods, whole-cream dairy products, refined foods, and commercial bakery items.

Today, everyone knows smoking causes a whole range of deadly diseases affecting almost every organ of the body. Smoking is a major cause of cardiovascular diseases because of its role in hardening of the arteries and reducing HDL levels. So, quitting smoking will not only lower your cholesterol levels and raise the HDL level, it will also reduce the risk of getting other deadly diseases.

It is perhaps better to have several different avenues to lower cholesterol because high cholesterol could show up for different reasons in different people. So, you could, in addition, also resort to natural remedies like Guggul, Pantethine, Beta-Sitosterol, Policosanol, Curcumin, red yeast rice, and so on. You can get these supplements at health food stores at a lower price compared to prescription drugs.



Vitamin K

Julia Carmichael asked:


Are you ready to improve your heart health and lower your cholesterol level? Then it’s time to starting thinking seriously about the foods you eat each day. If you’re looking for a diet plan to help you structure your low cholesterol diet, the food pyramid is a great place to start.

The United States Department of Agriculture has refashioned the food pyramid of the past into the MyPyramid plan which considers age, gender and amount of physical activity you get each day. Still, this pyramid is a good way to know how much of each food group and what types of foods you need to eat each day to be at your healthiest.

One of the food groups included in a low cholesterol diet is made up of the grains you eat. You should make sure that you eat three ounces of grains each day. Make sure that at least half of this comes from whole grains. Whole grain products are those that contain the bran, germ and endosperm of the grain. The other form of grains are refined grains. The process of refining removes the grain and bran for a finer texture product, but also removes many of the nutritional benefits of grains.

Food Group

Another food group that is important for good heart health is vegetables. You should eat 2-3 cups of vegetables depending on your gender and age. Be sure to include more dark green and orange vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, turnip greens, squash, sweet potatoes and pumpkins in your diet. Dried beans and peas are also an important part of a low cholesterol diet. Good choices include black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans and black-eyed peas.

Fruits are another good food choice when trying to lower your cholesterol. Again, depending on your age and gender, you should try to include 1&1/2 - 2 cups of fresh fruits in your diet each day. Good fruit choices for your low cholesterol diet include berries, melons, apples and juices made of 100 percent fruit juice.

The next food group is one that you should avoid, or eat only sparingly. These are the oils and fats, such as butter. Although we add these generously to our foods, it is healthier to skip them altogether. Most people will get the recommended amounts of oils from the foods they eat. Good sources of oils include fish, nuts and vegetable oils. You should only consume about 5-7 teaspoonfuls of oils each day. A final note, avoid oils that are solid at room temperature, such as butter, because they contain saturated fats. Eating a diet high in saturated fats can raise your cholesterol level and should not be included in your low cholesterol diet.

Dairy Products

Dairy products are an important addition to your diet because they give you your needed daily calcium which is good for strong bones. You should include 3 cups of milk, cheese or yogurt in your diet each day. For good heart health and for your low cholesterol diet, stick with low fat or reduced fat dairy products.

Meats are another food group where you should watch what you eat carefully when you are trying to eat a low cholesterol diet. You should include 5-6 ounces of meat in your diet each day. The best choices are fish, poultry, nuts and seeds. Eggs are also included in this group, but if you want to lower your cholesterol level; you should limit the number of egg yolks you eat to 1 - 2 weekly. You should also grill your meats instead of frying them.

If your goal is to lower your cholesterol, try using the government’s food pyramid as a guide for a low cholesterol diet. Then make low fat or fat-free choices to help you meet your goal.



Lower Cholesterol Level

Jam asked:


Although most people believe that the trend towards cutting off cholesterol in diets is brought on by the fact that the young generation is dieting themselves to death; it is not so. Limiting the body’s cholesterol levels is not only for appearance’s purposes but also for health reasons. Cholesterol levels in the body, when at a certain level, can cause a host of body complications and disease that can even eventually cause death.

Problems like hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes come in mind. This is especially true with people who are already old and in their middle ages because of the slowing down of the bodily processes particularly the digestive system and the body’s ability to convert fats to energy. This is perhaps why most older people, especially those that have weight issues, are being asked by their doctors to lessen their cholesterol intake.

What is cholesterol?

People have been talking about cholesterol but do they what it is and how it affects the body. Because of news about rising cases heart problems in the country, cholesterol has become an overnight antagonist. Everybody thinks that cholesterol is bad.

Actually, not all cholesterol is bad for the body. In fact, our bodies need cholesterol to make bile salts. It is also a major ingredients in maintaining hormonal balance as well as in the production of Vitamin D. Things become troubled when the levels become too high that the cholesterol already clog the arteries, making it hard for the blood to flow and the heart to pump.

There are two kinds of cholesterol, the good and the bad. The LDL, which is the bad kind, adhere to the arterial walls, forming plaques that eventually clog the passageway. Saturated fats and the trans fatty kind are sources of this kind of cholesterol. This is frequently found in pre-packed foods like potato snacks and canned goods.

The HDL, on the other hand, can lower the levels of LDL cholesterol. This is because the good HDL helps transport the LDL cholesterol from the arterial walls back to the liver where it is excreted out. These are found in nuts and in seafood particularly fishes.

People who want to lower their LDL levels are also advised to eat a lot of fruits because of the fiber that they bring to the body. Oats, cereals, and legumes are also great sources of fibers that can help combat the rise of LDL cholesterol, eventually decreasing the risk of heart disease.

Factors that affect cholesterol levels

Contrary to popular opinion, it is not just the diet that should be taken into consideration when dealing with high cholesterol levels. There are actually a lot of factors that affect the condition. One of these is the age and the gender. Older people are more affected by increased levels of cholesterol because of their bodies’ slowing processes. Another factor is the level of physical activity. Exercise can actually help in lowering down of LDL cholesterol. Also, it can help in strengthening the body and in toning the muscles.

Lowering cholesterol levels

From what was mentioned above, it seems remarkably simple to lower the body’s cholesterol levels… that is if one has the discipline to see it through. Just eat right and exercise regularly, avoid canned and pre-packed foods and you are on your way to lower cholesterol levels.



Weight Loss Journal