Veggie Blog

What you can do to lower your cholesterol

Experts advise adults from the age of 20 to pay attention to their cholesterol levels and to do what they can to keep their bad cholesterol low. Even though cholesterol can be lowered through a low cholesterol diet, lifestyle changes and medication, many people with high cholesterol still do not manage to bring it down.

Although it is not always easy to stick to what it takes to lower your cholesterol, you can still get the result you want by following these simple steps:

1. Know where you stand by getting your levels checked regularly. Seeing your doctor and having your cholesterol checked is an important part of staying healthy. Since high cholesterol is linked to cardiovascular disease, make sure you know your numbers so you can adjust your diet and habits. Knowing your cholesterol levels also helps you and your doctor decide what kind of diet to follow and whether you need medication. Your starting point lets you track your progress towards healthy cholesterol levels, and it is a good reason to quit smoking and cut down on foods high in saturated fat.

2. Learn the basics and find out everything you can about the condition. If you have been diagnosed with high cholesterol, the first thing to do is to understand the situation and get more information. Doing your own research will teach you about lifestyle changes that can help and about the treatment options available. Learning about cholesterol, its types and its health risks will also show you that the situation is far from hopeless if you are on the right track.

Finding out more about the condition will also help you realise how many things you can do. You can get information from a registered dietitian, local nutrition centres, your local hospital or public health department, and from your doctor or other health care provider.

3. Watch your weight and lose extra pounds if needed. Keeping an eye on your weight is one of the first ways to prevent high cholesterol. If you are overweight for your height, losing some weight can help bring your cholesterol down. Excess weight affects the way the body handles fat, so experts advise overweight people to plan a healthy diet and lifestyle to lose weight safely.

But before making big changes to your diet and lifestyle, see your doctor first to check your overall health. This is especially important if you take medication.

4. Get physical and exercise more often. Regular activity is very helpful in managing high cholesterol levels. It helps raise the good cholesterol (HDL) and lose weight as well. There is no need for high-intensity workouts; regular brisk walking or jogging can help raise HDL and is good for the heart.

5. Make a commitment and stick to it. The key to lowering cholesterol is the discipline to stick to your goal. Learn which fats are good and bad and where they come from, eat more fibre, especially soluble fibre from oats, beans and fruit, and find ways to manage stress. Multivitamins do not lower cholesterol. If your doctor recommends medication, take it as prescribed; for people at high risk it is often needed alongside lifestyle changes, not only when all else fails.