lower your cholesterol naturally
Six in every 10 people in the UK
are currently living with raised or abnormal cholesterol levels, putting them
at an increased risk of a range of cardiovascular diseases including strokes
and heart attacks.
However, it’s not all doom and
gloom, as there are several simple lifestyle changes you can make to naturally
decrease your cholesterol levels and improve your health in the long term.
Top nutritionist Sarah Flower
says, “The build-up of cholesterol and fats in the body form a plaque in the
artery walls. This plaque can limit the blood flow, particularly to your heart
and makes the artery walls thick, hard and inflexible. To stop this build up
from happening, I have put together a range of simple tips and lifestyle
changes which will help you to lower your cholesterol, with minimum effort.”
1)
Avoid
Alcohol
Alcohol consumption increases the
risk of fatty deposits in the blood.
Excessive alcohol consumption also leads to nutrient deficiencies,
particularly of those wonderful antioxidants whose role is to protect against
lipid (fat) formation in the first place.
So if you are worried about your cholesterol or heart, you really need
to limit your alcohol consumption – maybe a glass of red wine occasionally as this
has been shown to help lower cholesterol – but in moderation!
2)
Opt
for Good Fats
Oily fish, nuts and seeds are
good fats which can help to improve our health and wellbeing. Everyone needs
fat in their diet, but to reap the health benefits we need to choose good fats,
and limit the amount of saturated fats found in convenience foods. Nuts, seeds
and oily fish are all packed with amazing nutrients and omega 3, which is
essential for good health. Oily fish has
been shown to help lower cholesterol by up to 4%. Walnuts and almonds are fantastic nuts that
not only help keep you fuller for longer but also have been shown to help lower
cholesterol. Also, try cooking with
coconut oil, as this too has some amazing health properties.
3)
Pack
your Plate with Colour
Eat plenty of vegetables, packed
with nutrients, including phytonutrients and antioxidants and fill your plate
with colour in every meal. This gives
your body the tools it needs to fight infection and promote overall good
health. One of the best food sources to lower cholesterol is the humble tomato.
Tomatoes contain lycopene which has shown to be as, if not more effective at
reducing cholesterol than statins. To ensure you get adequate amounts of
lycopene into your diet, I would recommend CardioMato (£18, Boots), a new
supplement which is clinically proven to lower bad cholesterol in just six
weeks.
4)
Embrace
the Outdoors
An active lifestyle can really
help to lower your cholesterol levels, so try to exercise for at least 30
minutes each day. If you’re new to exercise, a gentle walk, jog or cycle can
really help. The more vigorous the exercise you choose, the more benefits you
will see, but start slowly to ease yourself in and build your fitness levels to
avoid injury.
5)
Cook
from Scratch
This may sound like common sense,
but cooking food from scratch will help you to eliminate hidden sugars and trans
fats which can be damaging to your health. Processed, tinned and food in jars
contain countless numbers of additives so opt for honest, real food to improve
your health. Exciting research shows that a low carb, high fat diet could help
reverse diabetes, combat obesity, lower high blood pressure and even stabilise
cholesterol. The high fat theory is certainly worth exploring, but a word of
warning – high fat with high carbohydrates diets will be detrimental to your
health so if you are going to increase your fats, you need to reduce your
carbs, and by this, you really need to go sugar free, grain free and low
carb.
