Diet To Control High Cholesterol

Every time you hear of an unexpected, albeit natural death, chances are, you'll be told a heart attack  or a stroke caused it. The heart giving way would seem to be the culprit, but the arteries would be its accomplices. They helped the heart succumb to the hardened and clogged channels that block blood from flowing normally in and out of the heart's chambers. The mastermind: cholesterol. Before it strikes you, integrate in your diet program a diet to control high cholesterol.

Bad Cholesterol

As cholesterol reaches abnormally high levels, atherosclerosis is but one of the dismal, at times fatal, side effects. High cholesterol also causes diabetes. A high level of the "bad" cholesterol, the LDL, is a result mainly from obesity and overweight. Having reached that level through unhealthy eating patterns, lack of exercise, and a generally hurried and pressured lifestyle, heart disease and stroke and diabetes will not be long in coming.

Can High Cholesterol Levels be Controlled?

Yes, cholesterol levels can be controlled; with the right diet and proper exercise, the levels of bad cholesterols are kept in check at lower levels, while good cholesterols are allowed to proliferate.

Discipline is paramount. You need to discipline yourself in several aspects to be able to keep that cholesterol at a safe level.

First, do the math. Check with your doctor how much you should weigh given your age and size and everything. Then see if you were under or overweight. The right weight ensures the maintenance of the right combination of good and bad cholesterols in your system.

Exercise

Get on that bike and exercise; bring those sluggish muscles to life. Medical studies only reveal positive results of adequate and correct exercise. Again, depending on your age, size or weight, or even lifestyle, you can find the right exercise for you. Brisk walking is a good start, as your body acclimatizes to more demanding exercises. Play ball, swim, do them regularly, and watch how your cholesterol levels go down.

Call the vice squad and watch your smoking and drinking. These vices lower HDL or good-cholesterol levels, making your immunity system more unable to cope with certain diseases. With your guard lowered, bad cholesterols can set in.

Check your doctor for your medications. There are drugs that affect cholesterol levels. Your doctor should know about them and you should make sure he does. If any medication can have an adverse effect on your already problematic cholesterol levels, only your doctor can find a more suitable replacement drug or substitute therapy. Better to be sure than sorry.

Just as importantly, take notice and caution with what you eat. A healthy diet keeps cholesterol levels in check.

How can You Use Diet to Control High Cholesterol?

Doctors and health care personnel are quick to the draw in telling you that excess fat increases cholesterol. The cholesterol present in some food forms also naturally increases your own levels of cholesterol. You should know also that cholesterol levels exponentially grow with meat, sweets, and junk foods.

To lower your cholesterol levels, your diet must be rid of saturated fat common in packaged and processed foods, food shortenings and junk foods. Replace them with more fruits, more vegetables. Take in fiber, and whole grain. Protein intake should be in the form of really lean meats taken in smaller servings. Fish and chicken are in. Salt is out. Dairy products should be watched closely for fat-content. Cook food in natural olive oil or vegetable oil.

Going for a diet that is low in cholesterol is relatively easy to do. Medical experts cite several guaranteed low-cholesterol diets. These include vegetarian diets, high-fiber diets, and the South Beach diet, which is basically a diet of healthy, balanced-nutrition foods. Remind yourself to avoid processed food and with preservatives.

The Ultimate Change

The diet change must be coupled with a holistic lifestyle change. Check with your doctor for the right exercise regimen to go with your diet to control high cholesterol. Ask him also for food supplements and drugs that can complement your diet. Tell your boss to go easy on your targets, too, to avoid burnout and cholesterol shoot-up.