Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Lower Ldl Without Medication

There are a lot of people who suffer from high cholesterol. It is characterized by two numbers. One of which is called LDL or low density lipoprotein, and the other is HDL, or high density lipoprotein. The LDL is the bad cholesterol and this is the number that you want to keep low. There are ways to treat it medically, but there are people who may not like the idea of taking drugs or suffering possible side effects that come with them. There are ways to treat high LDL by taking an alternate approach.


Instructions


1. Reduce or even eliminate your intake of fried foods, red meats, refined foods, highly processed foods and foods that are high in saturated fats.


2. Eat fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes and fish. According to Christopher Gardner, a researcher at Stanford University's Nutrition Department, eating these plant based foods help interact to improve cholesterol profiles.


3. Use olive oil. According to the Mayo Clinic, olive oil contains a mixture of powerful antioxidants that can help lower your LDL levels while having no impact on your HDL levels. Add it to your salads, use it to cook or make a dressing out of it.


4. Exercise at least 30 minutes 5 days of the week. It can be as simple as walking. Just make sure to get your heart elevated and do something you enjoy. Some other options are weight training, biking, swimming, stair stepping, or rowing.


5. Lose weight. According the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, excess weight can cause cholesterol levels to elevate.








6. Eat soluble fiber. This type of fiber is able to dissolve in water and can help to reduce the absorption of cholesterol in the stomach. Examples are apples, bananas, oat bran, oatmeal and psyllium.

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