Exercising is the Best Way to Lower Cholesterol

Cholesterol is something that is in every human being. This is just one of the many things that are produced by the person in order to function properly.

Unfortunately, eating food and drinking alcohol that is high in sugar, fat and oil may do more harm than good to a person. The individual will soon suffer from high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack or a stroke.

The good news is there is a way to prevent this before it happens. It will take a lot of sacrifice and hard work on the part of the individual because the body will not be able to sustain the effects because of aging.

Apart from eating less and making changes in the diet, the best way to lower cholesterol is by exercising. This will increase the heart rate and metabolism in the body allowing it to expel the harmful oils, which are detrimental to one’s health.

Those who have not exercised before should first consult with a physician to find out which is safe. Those who have a heart condition may not do something rigorous and will have to rely on something that is low impact such as walking, weight lifting or stretching.

Should the physician say the patient can participate in high impact exercises; there is running, swimming, aerobics and bicycling. The type of exercise will depend on several factors and not only medical history. This will also depend on gender, age and weight.

The doctor can make a plan then the person should relay this to the fitness instructor as to what is safe or not. From there, an exercise program can be made and all the patient has to do is follow it.

After a week or two, there will be improvements in the levels of good and bad cholesterol in the body as well as reduction in the current weight of the person.

Exercising is also considered to be the best way because the use of drugs has known to cause side effects when the person takes this.

If the individual does not have time to enroll in a gym, there are other ways to pump those muscles and increase the heart rate. For starters, men and women can go brisk walking early in the morning or before going to work.

Some offices and hospitals encourage people to walk up one or two flights of stairs instead of using the elevator to go up or down a few floors. If the company where one works in has a big parking lot, the individual can try walking a few yards more instead of taking the space near the door.

During any exercise, it is best to drink lots of water. This will prevent the body from dehydration that often leads to exhaustion. Instead of going to the fountain every few minutes, it is best to bring a water bottle.

This will save a lot of time and keep the person at pace with the group activity or the work being done on the machine.

Someone once said that health is wealth. By exercising, one will be able to lower the bad cholesterol in the body and live longer than those who choose to do nothing but are aware of the dangers of not making some lifestyle changes.

What you can do to lower your cholesterol

Experts say that people who are over 20 years of age should pay more attention to their cholesterol level and advise them to do everything they can to lower their levels of “bad” cholesterol. Despite the so many claims that you can lower your cholesterol level through low cholesterol diet plans, lifestyle changes, and monitored medication, more and more people who suffer from this condition still fail to lower their cholesterol level.

Although it is sometimes hard to stick with the needed requirements to be able to lower your cholesterol levels, it is still possible to get the result that you want by following these easy ways to lower to cholesterol:

1. Make sure you know where you stand by getting your levels checked regularly. Visiting your doctor and getting your cholesterol levels checked regularly is very important to achieving optimum health for good. Since high cholesterol is related to cardiovascular disease, make sure that you know your numbers so you can rearrange your diet and change lifestyle habits as well. Knowing your cholesterol level will also help you decide what kind of diet plan you should follow and if you need medication and treatment already. Knowing your starting point will also help you monitor your progress toward healthy cholesterol levels. If you know your exact cholesterol status then you can also do something to combat it by learning to quit cigarette smoking and excessive eating of high cholesterol foods.

2. Understanding the basics and learning everything you can about the condition. If you have been diagnosed with high cholesterol levels, the first thing to do is to understand the situation fully and acquire more information about the condition. By conducting your own personal research on the condition will also make you knowledgeable about initial lifestyle changes you can do to lessen the problem and you will also have an idea what other treatments options available. Knowing everything about cholesterol, its types, kinds, and health risks will also make you understand that the case is not really hopeless if you are in the right track.

Finding and getting more information about the condition will also make you realize that there are so many things that you can do. You can get more information from a registered dietician, local centers for nutrition, local hospital or public health department, and from a consultation with your attending physician or health care provider.

3. Watch your weight and get rid of extra pounds if needed. Monitoring your weight is one of the best ways to combat high levels of cholesterol. If you think you are overweight for your age and height, then you should be contemplating on slimming down to be able to decrease your high cholesterol level. Since being overweight disrupts a person’s normal metabolism of dietary fat, experts say that people who weight more than they should shout start planning on a healthy lifestyle and diet to lose weight safely.

But, before having a drastic change in your diet and lifestyle, make sure that you visit your doctor first to access your overall health. Doing this may prevent further damage especially if you have to undergo certain medications.

4. Get physical, do regular physical activities and exercises more often. The wonders of exercise are indeed very essential in lowering high cholesterol levels. Doing regular physical activities can also help raise the good cholesterol levels and lose weight as well. There’s really no need for high-intensity workouts, regular brisk walking or jogging can help the body boost HDL cholesterol and also beneficial for the heart.

5. Make a commitment and stick to that commitment. The best way to lower cholesterol levels is to be able to develop the discipline to stick to your goal. You can also lower your cholesterol level by acquainting yourself what are the good and the bad fat and its sources, by discovering the wonders of fiber in cutting down cholesterol, by taking in good multivitamins, by freeing yourself from lots of stress, and by exploring and considering treatment options when all else fails.

What to eat to lower your cholesterol

High cholesterol levels are slowly killing off the population. The increasing prevalence and risk of hypertension and heart disease in Americans are ringing the alarm bells in the country's health sector. Health officials are desperately trying to find ways to combat the rise and make people aware of the eating lifestyle and exercise lifestyle that they are imbibing.

The truth about cholesterol

Although cholesterol is mainly the culprit in the increase in high blood pressure in the body, not all cholesterol that we take in is essentially bad. In fact, small amounts of cholesterol is being used by the body in the production of bile salts and in the transformation of Vitamin D. Cholesterol also plays a role in the balancing of hormones especially in women.

There are two kinds of cholesterol, the good and the bad as the lay people will like to clal them. The bad cholesterol or the LDL is the kind that is often found in saturated fats and trans fatty acids. These are taken into the body through foods that are pre-packed and prepared such as potato chips, canned goods, etc.

LDL cholesterol adheres to the walls of the arteries. High levels of LDL can form plaques in the arterial walls that may eventually cause clogging in the passageway of the blood. This slows down the blood flow, which in turn makes it hard for the heart to pump. This scenario describes the initial stages of hypertension and coronary heart problems.

What to eat

The good cholesterol HDL on the other hand lower the levels of LDL in the body by helping transport the LDL to the liver where it is excreted. HDL cholesterol can be found in fishes as well as in nuts.

Other foods that can lower the cholesterol levels are fruits and vegetables. These foods do not contain that much cholesterol so whatever you have, you will not be adding to its levels.

Another great thing about veggies and fruits is the fact that they are great sources of fibers that the body also need to combat the increase in LDL cholesterol. Berries, fruits that are citrus and carrots are just some of the fruits that you can count on.

Another food that can dramatically reduce the levels of cholesterol in the body is the soya. Fiber-rich food, soya as well as almonds and plant sterols figure in a landmark study conducted by University of Toronto that reduced the cholesterol levels of the participants by as much as 20 percent. Eating oats, olive oil and barley are also great ways to lower LDL.

Another great source of cholesterol are foods that are really oily. To lower one's LDL, one must consciously avoid foods that are deep-fried. If you have to eat fried foods, make sure that the oil that you use is made out of vegetable.

Never use butter as this is rich in saturated fats. Instead, use margarine as a substitute. Try to also steam, braise, boil or bake your food. You will find that they are tastier and healthier.

Not just the food

There are many factors that contribute to the rise of cholesterol levels in the body. In addition to one's eating lifestyle, there is the age, the gender, the family history and of course the amount of physical activity that the person does.

Exercise is fairly important in keeping LDL cholesterol at bay. What is more, it strengthens the body's resistance as well as improves blood circulation.

Food to Consume To Lower Cholesterol

There is a saying that goes. "We are what we eat." This is so true as the food being consumed may affect the cholesterol levels inside the person’s system. This makes this makes the person prone to high blood pressure or heart disease through age, which could leave the patient, paralyzed or dead.

The only thing to do before it is too late is to make some changes in the individual's diet. While many of the good stuff that people love to eat have high concentrations of LDL better known as bad cholesterol, this can all change by consuming those that have HDL or good cholesterol. Here are a few examples.

A good way to start a healthy diet is to have a breakfast. Instead of eating bread, the individual can consume oatmeal instead. Studies have shown this can lower the cholesterol in the body by more than 20% after just two weeks of use. This figure can go down some more if this becomes a habit before going to work.

It is tough to just have oatmeal in the morning. Sometimes, the individual can have a fruit. An example could be an apple.

Studies have shown that people who eat at least 2 full apples a day or drink 12 ounces of apple juice are able to reduce the chances of heart diseases by 50%. This can be purchased at the supermarket and eaten during anytime of the day such as dessert after a light meal or as a snack.

During lunch or dinner, the person must have some vegetables in the meal. Those who order can have fish or poultry instead of eating red meat. Such dishes are not high in saturated fats, which are healthier.

Those who love to cook at home can try mixing some healthy things ingredients in the meal. One example is garlic that has natural properties that can declog the arteries and again lower the odds of succumbing to heart disease.

Having a can of pork and beans is also good for the diet. This is because it contains soluble fibers that can combat the bad cholesterol in the person's body. There are not that many people who will do this but those who are able to eat even a half an onion daily will be able to increase the HDL and lower the LDL.

People are often told that fats are not good for the diet. This isn’t entirely true because this comes in many forms. There are fats that are healthy such as unsaturated ones and omega 3 fatty acids.

Monosaturated and Polysaturated ones are also effective since these are usually found in cooking oils. This means food preparation also plays a big factor in reducing lowering one’s cholesterol levels.

The individual should read the label at the supermarket and read the ingredients to find out if this is healthy for cooking.

Being a bit overweight or noticing a lot of bulges in the body is one way of knowing that the person is potentially at risk for succumbing to disease to high levels of cholesterol in the system.

If the individual is unable to make a proper dietary plan, a specialist can help make one so all the person has to do is follow it.

Diet to lower Triglyceride and Cholesterol

When people undergo a blood test, there are four things that the doctor will review carefully before revealing the results to the patient. These are namely the LDL, HDL, triglyceride level and total cholesterol.

If any of these are way above the normal range, the doctor will make some recommendations before it is too late. The most common advice given is to make changes in the diet. This is because the numbers that come out can improve dramatically by changing the food being eaten.

People are well aware of what LDL and HDL is which is basically the good and bad cholesterol in the bloodstream. There isn’t that much said about a triglyceride and is often referred to just as a type of fat.

So what happens when there is too much triglyceride in the body? When a patient has too much of this in the blood, this puts the person at a greater risk of succumbing to heart disease.

The food being eaten can make this go up or down even if the individual is not allowed to eat for at least 14 hours before the checkup. The normal range should fall between 10 and 250 mgs./dl, which unfortunately a lot of people exceed.

Studies show that many patients who have high triglyceride levels also have high total cholesterol levels. It is a good thing that it is possible to kill two birds with one stone by having a dietitian prepare a simple diet plan.

The basic plan involves eating foods that are low in fat. Breakfast for example can be whole grain breads with a little touch of egg whites. The person should stop drinking coffee and replace this with unsweetened tea. Those who prefer milk should use non-fat or try some fresh juice instead.

Breakfast may have been light so the individual can have chicken without skin or the choice of lean cut meats such as flank, round, rump or sirloin served with some vegetables on the side.

Drinking bottled water is much healthier than ordering a can of diet soda because this still has certain properties that are not good for someone who is trying to cut down on cholesterol intake.

Those who want to get a quick bite as a snack can have fruit or vegetables strips. The person won’t find this in the store so getting up a little earlier in the morning or preparing this the night before is a good idea so the plastic container can be put into the bag before going to work.

Dinner must also be light because the body will soon rest and will not burn that much calories when one is sleeping. Steamed fish will do well or a little pasta. The individual can have a glass of red wine with the meal to help it go down into the belly.

The practice of this healthy habit must not only be done when eating home cooked meals. This should also be done when dining out with friends because a slight disruption in the plan can have certain consequences to someone who is trying to make some lifestyle changes.

Living a healthy life free from high levels of triglyceride and cholesterol can be achieved. It just takes a little determination and discipline to make this happen.

Lowering cholesterol with Beans, Lentils, Peas

By Robert Preidt

Eating beans, lentils and other legumes may help you cut down on LDL "bad" cholesterol and lower your risk for heart disease, a new review suggests.

Canadian researchers examined 26 U.S. and Canadian studies that included a total of more than 1,000 people. Their analysis showed that one daily serving (3/4 cup) of legumes -- foods such as beans, chickpeas, lentils and peas -- was linked to a reduction in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol by 5 percent. The study couldn't confirm cause-and-effect, but did show a strong association.

The 5 percent reduction in LDL cholesterol suggests a potential 5 percent lower risk of heart disease, according to a team led by Dr. John Sievenpiper, of the Clinical Nutrition and Risk Factor Modification Center at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto.

The heart-healthy effect of legumes was greater in men than women, the research found. That may be because men tend to have worse eating habits and higher cholesterol levels to begin with than women, so they might gain more from switching to a healthier diet.

Some of the study participants reported stomach problems such as bloating, flatulence, constipation or diarrhea as a result of eating legumes.

Nevertheless, nutrition experts were quick to sing the praises of the lowly bean, pea and lentil.

"It's time to spill the beans. By making a small dietary change, such as consuming one serving a day of beans, chickpeas, lentils and peas -- as most of the world does already -- we can make a modest risk reduction in our incidence of heart disease by lowering our 'bad cholesterol' LDL, especially in men," said Dr. Robert Graham, an internist and natural remedy specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

He said the study analysis was "methodologically strong," with people being followed for at least three weeks to test the effect of legume intake on health. According to Graham, that three-week threshold is the same the U.S. Food and Drug Administration uses when it evaluates any product that claims to help lower cholesterol.

Dana Angelo White is a sports dietitian and assistant clinical professor at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn. She called legumes "one of the most underappreciated sources of protein out there. They are loaded with hunger-fighting fiber and protein, so I am not surprised to see the results of this study."

But White added that, "the tricky part is getting Americans to eat more. I suggest foods like hummus, lentil soup in the slow cooker, and adding beans to pasta dishes, soups, salads and quesadillas to work more into the daily diet."

The study was published April 7 in CMAJ, the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Link between Coffee to Lower Liver Cancer Risk

Daily drinkers had reduced risk of the most common form of liver malignancy, but researchers can't say why

By Brenda Goodman

Researchers say they've discovered yet another reason to love coffee: A new study suggests that people who drink at least a cup a day have a lower risk of liver cancer compared to those who only indulge occasionally.

The study was to be presented Wednesday at the annual meeting of the American Association of Cancer Researchers in San Diego. Research presented at meetings should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

When the study started in the 1990s, researchers asked nearly 180, 000 adults of different racial and ethnic backgrounds about their coffee drinking and other lifestyle habits.

Study participants have now been tracked for as long as 18 years, and researchers have kept tabs on how many have developed hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common kind of liver cancer. So far, 498 study participants have been diagnosed.

People who said they drank one to three cups of coffee a day had a 29 percent reduced risk of liver cancer compared to those who drank six cups or less each week. And more was apparently better: People who regularly had more than four cups of coffee a day had a 42 percent reduced risk, according to the study.

To put that in perspective, one in 81 men and one in 196 women will get liver cancer over the course of their lives, according to the American Cancer Society. A 29 percent risk reduction lowers the odds of that diagnosis to one in 104 for men and one in 253 for women.

What is more, those reductions held even after researchers accounted for other things known to increase a persons risk for liver cancer such as age, obesity, smoking, drinking, sex and diabetes.

However, the study was only designed to show association, not to prove a cause-and-effect relationship. There may be something else common to coffee drinkers that also reduces cancer risk.

Still, it's not the first study to uncover such a link.

A review published last year in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, which combined the results of 16 different studies involving more than 3, 200 patients, concluded that drinking more than three cups of coffee a day might cut the risk of liver cancer by as much as 50 percent.

One expert praised the most recent research.

"This is a really well-done study," said Susan Gapstur, vice president of epidemiology for the American Cancer Society. "It adds to the growing body of evidence that coffee might be associated with a lower risk for a number of cancers."

Beyond liver cancer, studies have suggested that coffee may be tied to reduced risk for head and neck cancers, colorectal cancers, prostate cancer, and bladder, endometrial, esophageal and pancreatic cancers.

What researchers don't yet understand is how coffee may ward off cancer.

"That's what everybody wants to know," said study author V. Wendy Setiawan, an assistant professor in the department of preventive medicine at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center in Los Angeles.

Isetan says coffee has close to 100 active compounds including antioxidants, polyphenols and caffeine. It's also known to affect liver enzymes.

"At this time, I don't think anybody has any idea what compound is protective," she said.