fitness and health

Do you have high cholesterol and need to lower it? That is no surprise considering how many people have high cholesterol these days. To help lower your cholesterol
here are 10 tips you can get started with today.

As with anything health related
diet and exercise are the two crucial components. What you eat is critical to lowering your cholesterol levels
so that is what is included here.

One thing you should know is the difference between LDL and HDL cholesterol. Simply think of HDL as "healthy" and LDL as "lousy." HDL can actually help carry cholesterol out of your blood vessels while LDL allows it to deposit inside your artery walls.

The good news is that you can change your cholesterol for the better. Here is how to do just that:

1. Have a nice sandwich on whole wheat bread or a pita with some lean turkey and lots of fresh veggies. Skip the hot dogs
bologna
and salami
and hold the Mayo. All of those are highly processed and filled with fat and cholesterol.

2. Fish
like salmon
is good. Look for wild red salmon varieties
which are very high in Omega-3 fatty acids (good fat.) Also
flax seed is a good source of Omega-3s.

3. Avoid Trans fats! Not only do they raise the lousy LDL cholesterol
they can also lower your HDL levels! Stay away from foods like margarine
shortening
and processed foods containing partially hydrogenated soybean oil.

4. Go ahead
go nuts! Look for walnuts mainly but also try almonds
macadamia nuts
cashews
and pecans. Nuts are high in fat
but it's the good kind. (Also
use natural peanut butter instead of the normal kind which contains unhealthy Trans fats.)

5. Limit desserts and try to eat only the healthier ones like angel food cake
graham crackers
Jell-O
and fat-free frozen yogurt.

6. Eat foods that are high in fiber. Examples include whole wheat bread
oatmeal
fruits
vegetables
beans
and some cereals. (Look for the boxes that say "may help lower cholesterol.")

7. Use the grill. If you're going to have steak or burgers
grill them at home and use lean meat. This practice avoids the grease
is fun
and the meat tastes great.

8. Find a new salad dressing. Most of them are full of Trans fats and cholesterol. Olive oil is good
and maybe add vinegar or lemon juice. Also
skip the bacon bits
croutons
and egg yolks.

9. Go overboard on fruits and vegetables. They contain no cholesterol and they have lots of nutrients like antioxidants.

Here are some examples: green peas
broccoli
cauliflower
apples
oranges
mangos
papaya
pineapple
tomato
garlic
onions
spinach
water chestnuts
bananas
apricots
blueberries
and kiwi.

10. Avoid fast food like french fries and anything else from the deep fryer. Those foods will raise your cholesterol like crazy
so stay away from the burger joints if you can.

11. Bonus tip: Use spices like pepper and oregano to add flavor to your dishes. They are a healthy alternative to other toppings like Mayo.

That was easy
wasn't it? Just make some of these changes and get plenty of exercise like walking
jogging
swimming
or playing basketball. You will have lower cholesterol in no time!