Better Approaches To Cut Cholesterol

You know your cholesterol levels? Chances are those important counts are not the tip of your tongue.
That kind of ignorance can be dangerous, however. High cholesterol, which affects million of adults, is a top risk factor for heart disease. One of the leading killers of men-and women
And it is not only older men and women who should be concerned. It is myth that cholesterol is always low before age 45.

Now for the good news: Doctors are discovering better approaches to conquering cholesterol. These findings can help you set your unhealthy numbers right-fast.

Take HDL Regularly:
Monounsaturated fats, which are found in some nuts, as well as in olive and canola oils, lower “bad” cholesterol LDL (low density lipoproteins) when they are substituted for saturated fats. What’s more, they do not bring down HDL (high density lipoproteins), the “good” cholesterol.
If just less than half the saturated fat in a woman’s diet is placed with carbohydrates, heart disease risk goes down about 15%. But if that saturated fat is replaced with monounsaturated fat, the risk drop 35%.
Replace butter with olive oil, use skim milk instead of whole and try low-fat cuts of meat.
People with elevated cholesterol, an inherited lipid disorder (high cholesterol at a very young age) and those with heart disease should limit eggs to two per week.

Put Away Bad Cholesterol:
Get no more than 30% of calorie from fat. Yet reducing your intake of saturated fat continues to be the single most important step in lowering cholesterol. More than any at other food component, saturated fat, found mainly in meat and dairy products, stimulates the liver to produce artery clogging LDL. A smart diet would allow 20 grams a day of “bad” fat for healthy people.

Keep The Level Of Thyroid In Control:
Hypothyroidism is surprisingly common, especially in women. Left untreated, the condition can raise cholesterol levels significantly. Symptoms are subtle: tiredness, increased sensitivity to cold, hair loss, weight gain, joint stiffness and depression.

Control Your Weight:
In any group of people, the fattest will have HDL. Level 10 to 15% lower than the leanest.

Be Active:
Raising HDL by diet alone is tricky but the combination of exercise and strategic eating gets them up. Exercise also lowers triglycerides, the other blood fat linked to heart disease.

Avoid Daily Alcoholic Drink:
Though a daily alcoholic drink of any kind can rise HDL five to 10%, only red wine is loaded with antioxidant flavonoids that my discourage LDL from clogging arteries. Dark beer, nonalcoholic red wine and purple grape juice also has flavonoids, but in smaller amounts

Eat More Soluble Fiber:
Abundant in oat bran, rice bran, beans, peas, barley, citrus fruit, straw berries, carrots and apples, this fiber brings down LDL without lowering HDL. Some cereals are fortified with psyllium, a concentrated source of soluble fiber also found in laxatives. People with high cholesterol who regularly have 12 grams of psyllium a day can lower total cholesterol about 5%

Omega-3 Fatty Acids:
Found in salmon, mackerel and other fish, this fat can lower triglycerides. And since fish is low in saturated fat, it is a great way to cut total cholesterol and LDL too. Eat 85 to 110 grams several times a week.