13 Things You Must Do to Reduce Cholesterol - Lifestyle & Diet Tips

Cholesterol is a lipid (fat) that liver produces. Every cell of human body contains cholesterol in their outer layer. When a person follows healthy diet and exercises, it helps them maintain correct cholesterol levels. It strikes a balance between HDL (good cholesterol) and LDL (bad cholesterol) thereby protecting from the risk of infarction, stroke and several other diseases including Alzheimer's. Here are few simple steps to keep one's cholesterol levels naturally without taking drugs.

1. Lose weight

Overweight causes increase in harmful cholesterol and lesser activity decreases good cholesterol. So one should lose weight and exercise more if required. Even if one loses two - four kilograms, they will be able to lose considerable amount of cholesterol.

Shedding extra weight works well for many reasons - from improving cholesterol balance to averting epidemic diseases in mechanized societies including diabetes (type 2), blood pressure, strokes, heart attacks, gouts and even cancers.

So one should control the intake of fat and even if it is the good type of fats such as olive oil as any fat is filled with calories. Over consumption of fats could lead to overweight.

2. Start your day with oatmeal

One of the best foods for defending against cholesterol is oatmeal. Apart from the insoluble fiber content, it also contains a soluble fiber namely - beta glucan, which has positive impact on one's body.  It slows down gastric emptying, promotes better satiety, improves blood circulation, controls blood sugar levels and reduces the assimilation of cholesterol in the body. It has the capability to reduce total cholesterol levels, triglycerides & total lipids and also increases the level of good cholesterol (HDL) considerably. Eat oat bran and cold oat cereals such as Cheerios.

3. Exercise

Exercising has the advantage of lowering the bad (LDL) cholesterol levels by nature and also increases HDL. One should try to fit in exercises into their routine.

4. Reduced intake of saturated fats, red meat & dairy products

Too much of saturated fat could increase one’s cholesterol levels. Same is the case with eating excess of sugars and refined carbohydrates since these will be transformed into saturated fats. One should keep away from eating saturated fats contained in red meat and several dairy products. These raise the levels of bad cholesterol. 

It is advised that one should limit consumption of saturated fats to such an extent that only maximum of 10% of every day calorie count should come from such fats. 

5. Eat fiber-rich foods

Foods that are naturally loaded with soluble fibers have been confirmed to be good at reducing cholesterol levels. Such foods include barley, oat bran, oats, peas, sweet potatoes (& other varieties of potatoes), yams, in addition to legumes or beans, for example, black beans, pinto beans and garbanzo beans. Vegetables that contain high amount of soluble fiber include carrots, okra, beets and eggplant while fruits include berries.

6. Avoid trans-fats

Trans-fats enhance levels of bad cholesterol while lowering the good cholesterol. They tend to amplify clotting factors and increases inflammation, damaging one’s cardiovascular health. Trans-fats are contained in processed food items such as greasy fast foods, margarines, processed vegetable oils and even in baked products that contain hydrogenated vegetable oils or partly hydrogenated vegetable oil or vegetable fats. Such items include cakes, pastries and biscuits.

7. Get 8-10 hours of sleep every night

Lack of sleep boosts bad (low-density LDL) cholesterol which leads to high blood pressure and overeating. If a person snores, or feels extremely sleepy during the day, they should be examined for one of the usual but dangerous sleep disorder – “sleep apnea”.

8. Eat and/or drink more color

Vegetables & fruits are good sources that aid in lowering LDLs. Specific foods that help include, onions, garlic, apples, avocados, pears, berries, cabbage & its family of foods, dark leafy greens and eggplant. Such foods are full of antioxidants which keep the circulating cholesterol from getting oxidized. Oxidized cholesterols in particular are very harmful. Vegetables & fruits also have soluble fibers and phyto-sterols.

9. Check your Vitamin D level

Deficiency of vitamin D is associated to high levels of cholesterol. As a person gets old, the ability of their body to produce vitamin D from sun weakens. So one should check their vitamin D levels via blood tests and if it is low, they should take vitamin D supplements every day.

10. Watch the Salt

Foods available these days are already overloaded with sodium but still we add salts to increase flavor. At times some don’t even taste the foods before adding salts. The issue is that regular iodized salt adds to one’s sodium levels, Imbalanced sodium level increases the levels of hypertension, which when mingled with high cholesterol levels could lead to trouble. 

If one has to add salt in their foods, they have to make sure it is the regular sea salt or Himalayan salt. They should refrain from using the refined salt

11. Include foods rich in phyto-sterol

Food that is rich in phyto-sterol attaches itself with cholesterol inside the intestines, and cuts down the absorption of LDL cholesterol. Phyto-sterols are more or less similar to cholesterol in their structure and also have a protective effect on heart. Add phyto-sterols rich foods in your regular diet such as nuts which includes almonds, walnuts pistachios & macadamias; seeds like sunflower seeds, sesame and flaxseed, avocados, pumpkin; and cold pressed natural oils such as sesame oil, flaxseed oil, pumpkin oil etc.

12. Quit Smoking

Quit smoking as soon as possible. Smoking is not only bad for our general health, but also reduces our good HDL cholesterol levels. It slows down the body’s natural ability to fight bad LDL cholesterol. 

13. Alcohol consumption

Consumption of alcoholic beverages at smaller quantities can be associated with improved levels of HDL (good) cholesterol. However, the advantages are not sufficient enough to prescribe alcohol for those who do not consume alcohol. So when one chooses to consume alcohol, they should try to limit the consumption. 

For healthy individuals, it is proposed that they consume maximum of one drink per day (includes most women and men above 65 years of age). For men lesser than 65 years, maximum of two drinks a day.