Friday, December 24, 2010

Cholesterol-Lowering Foods - Lowering Cholesterol Naturally

You can't turn on a TV without being bombarded with cholesterol lowering drug ads because there are 105 million adults in the US with cholesterol levels higher than they should be. It's the way we do things; take a pill and make it better. Are statins effective? Yes, they are or the FDA would not have approved them. But what the ads don't feature is that there can be significant side affects from taking statin drugs including difficulty sleeping, nausea, dizziness, and muscle aches.


But there are steps you can take to lower your cholesterol levels naturally, without taking drugs and putting up with unwanted side affects. Here are the most important:


Limit Your Intake of Cholesterol Be aware of how much cholesterol is in the foods you choose. Limiting dietary cholesterol will also reduce saturated fats as they usually go side by side in the same foods.


Eat Regularly Missing a meal often leads to overeating. There is nothing wrong with eating 5 or 6 times a day if they are "mini" meals and stop your food cravings. If you are tempted to overeat anytime you are around food, then the three scheduled meal plan is probably better.


Get Exercise Your body was designed to move about and it works better when it is exercised. Improved muscle tone, blood flow, raised "good" (HDL) cholesterol levels, and controls body sugars.


Drink Water 32 to 64 ounces a day is recommended. Sound like a lot, but you will have more energy and will eat less.


Limit Calories from Fat Eat a minimum of trans-fatty acids (butter, salad dressing, ice cream).


Eat a mix of protein Maintain a balance of vegetable, fish, and meat protein. Increase the amount of omega-3 fatty acids.


Eat More Vegetables and Fruits Nature has provided us with powerful natural methods to fight high cholesterol and heart disease. These sources of dietary fiber also help reduce "bad" (LDL} cholesterol.


I am not for a minute suggesting that, if you are under a physician's care and have been prescribed medication for cholesterol that you should stop and instead take up the steps above. If you are on medication, stay on it.


What I am pointing out is that we can help ourselves reduce our cholesterol levels with some pretty easy life style choices and lead a much healthier, happy lifestyle.


If you are ready to make these changes, one of the most challenging is how to increase the amount of fruit and vegetables in your diet to the recommended 5 servings daily. I recommend using smoothies as the medium to get the fruit and or vegetables you need. They are easy to make, low calorie, and there is an almost infinite number of recipes so you will not get bored.


Would you want a dietary supplement that will help you control your cholesterol levels? Go to Mila Healthy Living.Com and read about this truly remarkable product.


Mila's properties include eight times more omega-3 fatty acid than salmon, twice the fiber of bran flakes, and six times more calcium than milk.

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