Lower Your Cholesterol Naturally

If your cholesterol is extremely high and your doctor feels you are at risk, he may put you on statins, a prescription drug to lower your overall cholesterol. But most people only continue these drugs for a year due to high cost and/or adverse side effects. There are ways that your cholesterol can be lowered, and you don't have to wait for a nudge from your doctor to do it. Learn a few simple ways to naturally lower your cholesterol here.

Add cholesterol-lowering foods to your diet. There are a number of foods created especially for people with high numbers, including butters, cooking oils, and macrobiotic yogurt shots. These can be expensive, so if you are on a budget you may want to add foods that are known to help. Oatmeal is a powerful tool in your fight against high cholesterol. Eat some every morning for the best results. Adding garlic to foods also helps lower your overall cholesterol, and heart-healthy fats like those found in olive oil can also do the trick. Everyday new foods are being discovered that help.

Take a supplement. Any supplement containing a significant amount of Omega-3 fatty acids like fish oil or flaxseed oil will do the trick. Other supplements based on food are popular, like garlic and cinnamon if you don't like the taste of these when added to your diet. Cinnamon is helpful for weight loss, too. Vitamins B-3 and B-5 are both great for lowering LDL and raising HDL. Some opt for B-3 (also called Niacin) in larger doses, which is only available by prescription. Guggulipid and Green Tea are plant-based extracts that are popular, as well as magnesium. Whichever supplement you choose, be sure to inform your doctor of any you are taking.

Eat right. Our diet is the largest contributor to cholesterol, so it's important to be conscious of what you consume. Experts recommend a Mediterranean style diet with unsaturated fats and plenty of fresh food. If you're having trouble with your weight, you might want to try some herbal diet pills that don't have the troublesome effects of chemically-based ones. Be sure to get plenty of exercise as well. A natural appetite suppressant such as hoodia may get you on the right track to eating appropriate portions and avoiding temptation.

Susan Patterson has been studying alternative medicine and health for over 10 years. She loves to write to help others, especially in the area of quick weight loss [http://www.weightdepot.com] which can be accomplished safely. She has found several herbal remedies to be effective in her journey to better health without the side effects that medications cause. She is particularly passionate about hoodia for weight loss.

Supplements For High Cholesterol - Overlooked Ways to Lower Cholesterol Levels

If you are familiar with the side effects of statin medication for reducing high cholesterol, then you know that it makes sense to find a natural method of lowering cholesterol levels. One method that can be extremely effective is using supplements for high cholesterol.

The market for cholesterol supplements is loaded with products that have amazing claims attached to them. To read some of these claims, you would think that a pill a day is all that would take to bring down your high cholesterol readings. Well, let's take a more realistic and balanced look at cholesterol lowering supplements.

Let me first state that the most effective way to bring down high cholesterol is through making certain changes in your diet. Reducing the amount of saturated fat consumption while at the same time increasing the amounts of vegetables and whole grains in your diet will in and of itself provide you with extremely good results.

However, combining those dietary changes with supplements that contain certain ingredients will greatly increase the rate of cholesterol reduction.

The most effective substance to look for in cholesterol supplements is plant sterols. Also known as phytosterols, they have been shown over and over again to effectively block the absorption of cholesterol into the bloodstream.

Another natural substance that works well in a supplement for lowering cholesterol is rice bran oil. For a long time and was believed that it was the bran itself that was the effective agent. This would make sense, given the fact that bran is high in fiber content.

However, recent studies have shown that it is the rice bran oil that provides most of the cholesterol lowering effect. This is probably due to the fact that rice bran oil contains the highest amounts of plant sterols of any of the natural plant-based oils.

You will also find gugulipid and policosanol listed as ingredients on many supplements for high cholesterol. Many studies have shown both of these to be effective cholesterol lowering agents. However, some of the more recent studies have brought their effectiveness into question.

The way I look at it is that as long as there is ongoing promising research regarding their effectiveness, it makes sense to include them as a part of an effective formula for cholesterol reduction.

Given the fact that many people experience severe side effects from statin medication, this type of natural approach to lowering high cholesterol levels is recommended, leaving medication as a last resort. I invite you to visit my website where I cover the best supplements for high cholesterol along with a thorough discussion of which foods and diets are most effective.

Van Crawford has been researching health related issues for more than eight years. He shares his research into natural ways to lower cholesterol levels on his website, http://www.Lowering-Cholesterol-Resources.com. To learn more about effective ways to lower your cholesterol and to learn how Van was able to lower his cholesterol without the use of medication, visit his website now.

Tips on How to Lower Cholesterol Levels

The moment one is advised by their doctor that they have high cholesterol usually leads to momentous levels of stress. The first question is usually how to lower the cholesterol levels as quickly as they can. Doctors sometimes may be quick to offer prescription drugs, which are never fun to take.

Frequent exercising and dietary changes are two vital changes to implement sooner rather than later. Yes, this may not sound as easy as simply popping a pill. But it is a basic requirement. Even your doctor will typically tell you so.

The next step is to add suitable natural cholesterol lowering agents to the daily diet. There are very healthy options to consider including natural supplements. You should always consult a doctor before taking supplements all the same for reasons we shall see next.

A person always needs to be aware of the contra-indications associated with these supplements. An example is artichoke extract that can reduce cholesterol but there are people who are prone to allergic reactions from this. Some people experience the discomfort of gas. Beta-sitosterol that is incorporated in margarine may lead to constipation, diarrhea, indigestion and nausea.

There are exceptions to the rule as many side effects are temporary and the most important aspect is lower the cholesterol levels, which may be in more natural supplementation. A doctor will be able to advise you accordingly.

One should also (always) let the doctor know even when taking herbal options to reduce blood fat as certain herbs may counteract or interact with clinical medicine.

Healthy lifestyle choices are usually the best solution to reach desired results. It is not to say that one should ignore what a doctor prescribed. Some cases do need medical intervention.

Seed husk, fish oil, ground flax-seed, garlic extract and green tea extract are natural alternatives to look for in products for lowering cholesterol levels. They are well-known for natural health management and to aid with lowering blood fats.

Reducing cholesterol levels is often not that hard if one is willing to make some lifestyle changes. Simple dietary changes together with medication whether conventional or herbal supplements, bring the positive changes in approximately fifty days. Considering how many years it takes the body to build up the undesired levels, fifty days is a very short time.

Exercise is a very important element in reducing these levels. Mere walking can aid in the exercise regime. It can help reduce LDL, the bad cholesterol, and increase HDL, the good cholesterol.

For those who do not exercise, brisk walking is a good start. A forty-five minute walk is all it takes after taking supper. One should also attempt to walk at least ten thousand steps per day. It can be monitored with a pedometer. These changes together with the correct cholesterol reducing agents can surely work wonders toward lowering cholesterol levels.

You can lower your cholesterol levels without statin drugs. Check out natural cholesterol supplements now. David Kamau offers free information and tips about vitamins and health supplements at his site.

Easy Ways to Increase Dietary Fiber to Lower Cholesterol

If you want to naturally lower your cholesterol, it is imperative that you increase the amount of fiber in your diet particularly soluble fiber. Most of us eat way too few foods that contain soluble fiber. One of the main reasons for this is that we eat too few whole, plant-based foods. Most of us still have a very meat-centric diet. Meat contains no fiber and eating a fruit at breakfast with high fiber cold cereal, a meat-based sandwich with whole grain bread at lunch, and a salad at dinner isn't going to get you to your soluble fiber targets. You need to be eating a lot more plant-based foods than in the example just given if you want to see cholesterol-lowering results.

So what is soluble fiber and why is it so important in terms of naturally lowering your cholesterol? Soluble fiber is found in varying degrees in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Soluble fiber absorbs water and becomes a gelatinous substance in the body whereas insoluble fiber remains largely intact and helps food pass through the digestive tract. If we use a plum as an example, the flesh of the plum contains most of the soluble fiber and the skin of the plum contains most of the insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber has the ability to coat the intestinal lining so that cholesterol cannot be absorbed into the bloodstream. It also has the effect of slowing the liver's production of cholesterol. As a result, eating soluble fiber will lower LDL cholesterol and greatly improve your heart health.

A frequent excuse people give for not eating more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is the fact that they are simply too busy. Below are 5 easy ways to incorporate more soluble fiber into your diet even if you are someone who is always on-the-go.

Munch on Carrots: Have on hand in your refrigerator fresh vegetables that don't spoil easily like carrots, cucumbers, and red peppers and serve them alongside a hummus sandwich using whole grain bread.

Always Have Frozen Fruit On Hand: Frozen fruits like strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries are particularly good for making a quick smoothie. Try adding them to low-fat, unsweetened yogurt too.

Eat Canned Beans: Have unsalted, canned beans in the closet so you can quickly open up a can and mix it with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, onion, celery, pinch of salt, and pepper and enjoy your bean dish over lettuce or a whole grain like whole grain brown rice for lunch or dinner.

Enjoy Easy-to-Prepare Whole Grains: Soak traditional (not instant) rolled oats in water along with dried fruit, seeds, and nuts and put it into the refrigerator overnight so that you can eat it cold or warmed along with a chopped apple the next morning for a fast breakfast.

Bake Sweet Potatoes in the Microwave: Have sweet potatoes or yams on hand which can be cooked in the microwave or oven and eaten at any time with a little cinnamon to satisfy a sweet craving.

Simple changes to your diet can make an enormous difference in your heart health. Wouldn't you prefer to naturally lower your cholesterol by eating tasty, easy-to-prepare foods like the ones mentioned above versus popping pills or undergoing surgery? Such a switch in your diet will also help you to naturally lower blood sugar, reduce blood pressure, and lose weight so that you have a good chance at a healthier, longer life. Choose one of the cholesterol-lowering suggestions above and be sure to implement it today!

To receive a FREE special report "Top 3 Secrets to Reduce Your Cholesterol Fast" and other heart-healthy information, visit http://www.cutcholesterolnow.com. In this special report I will share with you the top tips I implemented to naturally lower my LDL cholesterol in less than 6 months that you can use too.

The Best Herbs And Nutrients To Lower Cholesterol Naturally

Many different cholesterol lowering herbs and nutrients can help you lower your "bad" cholesterol naturally. In order to prevent the development of the various forms of heart disease that affects about 61 million Americans, it is very important to maintain low cholesterol levels in your body.

Think that with small intakes of natural supplements you can save a lifetime of taking pills and even avoiding heart surgery. You must know by now that about 75 percent of the body's cholesterol is produced by the liver, the rest being extracted from what you eat. So, a diet in this case is very helpful if you want to lower those levels. But, while a low-your-cholesterol diet is helpful, it's still necessary to maintain the cholesterol levels within the body itself.

But what are the best herbs that help you lower your cholesterol in a natural way? In this article we have prepared for you a list of the best herbs that will help you:

Green Tea - Even though it has shown that is has many therapeutic benefits, green tea has shown to also lower the amount of LDL (or bad cholesterol) in your bloodstream, and it also aids in the prevention of blood vessel constriction.

Ginger - Recent studies in the New England Medical Journals have shown that ginger helps dramatically reduce the cholesterol in your body. Often used in the Chinese cuisine, this powerful herb also helps lower blood pressure and thins the blood.

Guggulipid - Guggulipid is known to be an ancient Indian herb that has been shown very good results with lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Actually, it has shown better reducing effects on the LDL cholesterol levels than modern drugs in several trials.

Turmeric - Turmeric contains curcumin, and is a very powerful herb used in curry dishes. It helps lower the LDL levels but it also improves blood circulation.

Olive leaf - Studies have shown that the olive leaf extract, native to the Mediterranean region, shows amazing improvements on the cholesterol levels, as well as facilitates blood flow and lowers blood pressure.

Also, you might be interested in some important nutrients to lower your cholesterol naturally:

Policosanol is extracted from sugar cane wax and it has been widely studied trough time. It helps increase the good cholesterol levels, while lowering the LDL levels.

Chromium Plyniconate - Also known as the organic version of chromium, it helps lower triglycerides and LDL levels while raising the HDL cholesterol levels.

Niacin or Vitamin B3 - It has shown to help reduce total cholesterol levels in high dosages.

Jean Helmet is a content editor who focuses on a wide array of niche health topics. Her latest website - Natural Cholesterol Supplement focuses on cholesterol as a whole, and in partcular, a natural product our editors personally use with excellent health results known as - Cholest-Natural

Be sure to check out our cholesterol product of choice, it is the natural supplement we use and recommend to friends and family, and have done for over 3 years.

Why a Natural Weight Loss Pill Aims to Lower Your Cholesterol

When people turn to natural weight loss pills to shed those extra pounds they're looking to lose weight. And they measure their success on the number of pounds they shed. But one of their goals in losing weight is to be healthier. But there are other factors in being healthy. The one most talked about these days is cholesterol. So how important is it?

What Is Cholesterol?

All the cells in our body are surrounded by cholesterol. That's why it's important. It's everywhere. Cholesterol is a lipid that is required for the body to operate. Its job is to protect our nerve fibres and make sure that nerve signals are making their way through the body properly. Cholesterol also makes hormones that transport certain signals around the body.

So, on the one hand, it's good for the body. But, on the other hand, too much of it in your body can be bad and lead to heart disease. So it's important to bring it down.

What's A Safe Level?

Unfortunately, it's not as simple as weighing yourself. Knowing what your cholesterol level is not enough to tell if you have too much. The only way to tell if you're at risk of heart disease is to consult your doctor because you need to find out what your Lipoprotein level is.

The average person should have around 4.0mmol/l but if you have a low density lipoprotein count, then you should have about 2.0mmol/l. But there is no average person and the only way to know what your ideal level is, is to visit the doctor.

How To Reduce Cholesterol

Unfortunately cholesterol levels are on the rise. And there is a direct relationship between those high levels and the increased incidences of heart disease. So it's important to think about reducing your own levels.

There are a few ways to lower it. Eating healthy food is a very good way of reducing your LDL level. Healthy food protects your body against the harmful effects of cholesterol.

Other ways to lower the level include: stopping smoking, losing weight and exercising to raise your HDL cholesterol level (which is a good thing). If these methods don't work over a period of around six months, you should consult your doctor. Medication can be obtained that helps.

Conclusion

It's important to monitor your cholesterol levels. High levels are largely a result of modern lifestyles and poor diets. But if you take action to keep your levels low and get checked out by the doctor you're on your way to a healthier body.

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Do You Really Need A Pill to Lower Your Cholesterol Count?

Why has our society today come to believe that we need a pill for every ill?

Is it because we just simply accept what the medical profession says to us? Or is it because we are just too lazy to take responsibility for the choices we make? By implication we are actually saying I'll just live my life the way I want to, eat what I want to, drink what I want and if anything goes wrong I'll just go to the doctors and he will just give me a pill to cure it?

In my opinion the problem is that most people in society today just believe what their doctor tells them without ever questioning whether or not they are right.

Our society has been brought up to believe that if a doctor says it then it must be true. If the doctor talks about cholesterol numbers, cholesterol count, or cholesterol hdl ldl being too high then Joe Public just expects he is going to get a pill and he will take it in most cases without questioning.

To be honest the problem doesn't just lie with the public not questioning the status quo, part of the problem is he has to a large extent been deceived into thinking certain things are good for him when in fact they are harmful.

Take for example margarine, it was hailed as a miracle invention that would help to lower your cholesterol count or your cholesterol numbers when in actual fact the Trans-fats or hydrogenated oils contained in margarine have been doing an immense amount of damage to the arteries of the users since the products first came out.

Now it has been said that 'what you don't know won't kill you' but that is not true in this case. The hydrogenated oils help to form the plaque that close up the arteries and causes a heart attack. The emphasis of the medical profession is to lower the cholesterol count which is really just treating the symptoms. What should be emphasized is we should be getting rid of the plaque buildup in the arteries.

Now the general public didn't know this until recently and what you don't know you can't really be blamed for. However the evidence today is overwhelming and so each person should be considering the implications of their own health and start to change their lifestyles.

You can indeed lower your cholesterol without ever needing to take a pill and at the same time you are accomplishing this you can be dissolving the plaque buildup in your arteries. Click on the link below and visit the website for the vitamin supplements that combined with a healthy lifestyle can reverse arterial damage.

Heart disease is the major killer today in the western world. Congestive heart failure, heart attack, heart attack symptoms, and heart disease, are primarily avoidable but you need to know what to do and then you need to do it.

I hope that you enjoyed this article if you did then sign up for my free newsletter at http://www.thehealthyu.com where you will learn health tips secrets and ways to build great health!

Hal - Runs several limited companies and consults on a diverse range of business aspects. He is a keen sportsman and has a sense of good humour.

Discover Natural Ways to Lower Cholesterol - Save Money While Building a Healthier Heart

For many individuals, when they learned that they need to lower their cholesterol, they really are uncertain what the best thing to do is. Natural ways to lower cholesterol are far better than using cholesterol medication. After a very short period of time of changing your eating habits and getting a little more exercise, you will feel better and have more energy.

You see, the best way to lower cholesterol is free. There are no pills to buy. No unnecessary trips to the doctor. And you can actually save money by spending less on red meat than you had previously been doing. That's because the most effective ways of lowering cholesterol involves reducing the amount of saturated fat in your diet and substantially increasing the amounts of high fiber vegetables, fruits and nuts.

Fiber is important because it efficiently removes cholesterol from your body. As a matter fact, cholesterol actually attaches itself to fiber in the digestive system so that it is eliminated. However, it is equally important to remove saturated fats from your diet.

Now don't get me wrong. You can still have the occasional beef, but it needs to be lean cuts such as sirloin pork tenderloin, and you should consume it on a less regular basis.

I have found that a great substitute for ground beef is ground turkey when seasoned properly. As a matter of fact it is more enjoyable than ground beef because it lacks all the grease found in hamburger.

You will also want to take a serious look at the amount of carbohydrates in your diet. Empty carbs such as white rice and potatoes can quickly increase cholesterol levels. However, the opposite is also true. By eliminating these types of foods, and replacing them with high fiber foods such as brown rice or wild rice, triglyceride levels drop rapidly.

If you really want to find natural ways to lower cholesterol diet is the place to begin. I invite you to visit my website where you can learn about other steps you can take to lower your cholesterol and improve your overall health.

Keep these things in mind next time as you go to the grocery store and focus on some cholesterol lowering foods that will actually make you healthier in the long run. That's one thing medication cannot do for you.

Van Crawford has been studying health and nutrition for over 10 years as he has researched ways to lower his own cholesterol levels. Visit his website now for more information on powerful ways to improve your health and lower your cholesterol: Tips For Lowering Cholesterol

Diet to Lower Cholesterol Level - Proven Cholesterol Lowering Techniques For You to Use

Most people don't realize that a diet to lower cholesterol level has been shown to be more effective than cholesterol medication for most individuals. The problem is that our doctors are the primary source of information regarding our health.

If you have high cholesterol, most likely you first heard about it from your doctor's office and there's a good chance that he suggested statin drugs as your best option. I am shocked by how little specific dietary guidance medical professionals provide their patients for reducing high cholesterol.

It has been proven in clinical studies and through the experience of thousands of individuals that a cholesterol lowering diet can provide just as good and sometimes better results than what most individuals obtained through the use of medication. And when you consider the fact that lowering high cholesterol through diet increases your health and longevity, while statin medication can severely damage your health, it makes most sense to leave these medications as a last resort.

If you're really serious about lowering high cholesterol then you will need to cut back on the amounts of saturated fat in your diet. It is best to completely eliminate high-fat foods such as beef and pork. Saturated fat actually increases LDL cholesterol levels and triglycerides much quicker than foods that are high in cholesterol.

However, your diet to lower cholesterol level will not be effective unless it contains many cholesterol lowering foods which include most vegetables, fruit and nuts. All these foods (yes, nuts included) are cholesterol fighting foods that also provided additional energy and improve your overall health immensely.

Unfortunately, taking a pill to lower your cholesterol is easier, but this type of cholesterol lowering diet will provide benefits for you for the years to come. I invite you to visit my website where I discuss your many different options for reducing high cholesterol levels without resorting to medication.

Take Control of Your Diet For Lower Cholesterol

Are you friends with your mirror or do you look the other way when you pass by? Do you promise yourself that this will be the week you start an exercise program, start eating low cholesterol foods and pay attention to a healthy eating guide? Do you promise yourself to begin a diet only to put it off yet again because you are secretly afraid of the self denial and the risk of failure?

While this hesitation is a natural reaction, these human bodies of ours have been in constant development for more than a few hundred thousand years and have everything needed to be healthy and fit if you give it even a little bit of help.

The truth is that getting in shape, eating healthy, and losing weight are all pretty simple things to do. You just need to make the decision to do something! Even walking one flight of stairs instead of riding the elevator or parking at the back of the lot is a start towards a healthy lifestyle.

Once you begin, you are going to be pleasantly surprised how quickly your body will respond when you begin to follow a healthy diet of low cholesterol foods and treat yourself to even a moderate exercise program. The damage that took years of neglect and unhealthy living to accumulate will begin to be repaired in just a matter of a few months.

Please note that I said "begin to be repaired". Despite the zillions of ads everywhere claiming "miraculous results", there is no magic pill, formula, or program that will take the weight off, lower bad cholesterol and restore your health in just a few weeks. At best these "miracle" products will only help you lose water weight and, at worst, they can many health related problems. Recovering good health will take some time, and it will take a continuing commitment from you.

Despite the claims of the ads, the real, and only, "secret" to losing weight and controlling cholesterol is to burn off more calories than you eat each day. Ideally, this is accomplished by taking in fewer calories through your diet and burning more calories because of increased physical activity. It will also help to plan your diet to get more of your calories from a balanced diet with less red meat, saturated fats, dairy, and sweets and more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

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Scared of Statins? 5 Ways Chia Seeds Can Help You Lower Your Cholesterol

All you have to do is turn on the TV and you'll know that millions of people have a cholesterol problem. Major drug companies can't seem to advertise their pharmaceuticals enough! However, if the idea of spending loads of money on prescriptions every month isn't something you enjoy, it might be time to look for another, healthier solution.

You might have also noticed that Statin Drugs have come under a negative light in some studies. It's known that they deplete body levels of Coenzyme Q-10 (CoQ-10) which is something your heart needs in order to function correctly. They can also deplete other critical nutrients from the body, and sometimes lower good cholesterol as well. Sure, you can supplement with Co-Q10 pills, but that's even more money out of your pocket! So aside from all the expense, do you really want to risk these negative effects?
 
The good news is, you can lower your cholesterol naturally, and inexpensively through food. You may have seen the claims on famous products like Cheerie-o's (TM) and Quaker Oats (TM), that "soluble fiber combined with a low saturated fat diet may reduce the risk of heart disease". There's more to it then that, and it's all beneficial to you!
A low fat diet is great, but you also need some pro-active cholesterol cleaners in your corner if you really want to beat down the threat of hardening arteries and cholesterol clogs. The key isn't to avoid all fats or cholesterol sources, because your body actually needs some to function properly. It's the ability to sweep away the bad and encourage the good that will lead to better health.
 
Your key to success can be the Chia Seed, but only if you take action.
How can tiny seeds you've never heard of put the brakes one such a big problem as cholesterol? There are so many ways, and you can examine each one in this article. Read exactly about how each fascinating facet benefits you:
 
First: Soluble Fiber

The exterior of the chia seed is covered in soluble fiber. But this isn't just any soluble fiber, like that of an oat or flax seed. The fiber of Chia is special, in that it can absorb NINE times the weight of the seed in water, and hold it close to the surface. When it does this, it forms a bead of gel, with the consistency of a gelatin snack. This gel isn't easily removed from the seed. It takes the digestive system a while to use and remove it, thus hydrating the colon and easing digestion.
 
Second: Insoluble fiber

Insoluble fiber cannot be digested or absorbed by the body. It is sometimes referred to as "Roughage" and acts as a sweeper in the intestines. When food doesn't sit around or become overly dry in the colon, toxic substances don't build up. Unfriendly bacteria doesn't get the chance to go to work. When insoluble fiber is taking up space in the digestive system, you're more likely to feel full for longer and thus not eat as much at meal time. Losing excess weight is another key to keeping cholesterol down.
 
Third: Unsaturated Fatty Acids

These may sound complicated, but they're important for cell respiration (oxygen transported into cells), the lubrication and resilience of cells. There's an especially important fatty acid that your body can't make. It's called "Linoleic". You usually get this from raw plant-source foods...but who gets enough of those these days? With Chia Seeds, you won't have to worry about it. They're rich in this important nutrient.

How are these important for your cholesterol? They combine with cholesterol in the body to form membranes that hold cells together. It puts cholesterol to good use, but only if you have enough of it to make the combination!
 
Fourth: Long-Chain triglycerides

These large molecules take a stand to scrub cholesterol off of artery walls, but only when eaten in the right proportions. Chia seeds have these long chain triglycerides in the right proportions to help reduce it for you.
 
Fifth: Risk Factors

Reducing or eliminating risk factors for high cholesterol is important as well. Some risk factors you can't do anything about, like heredity. But others such as obesity and diabetes you can help to control with Chia. (The soluble fiber in chia seeds helps control blood sugar levels by slowing down the transformation of carbohydrates into sugars)
 
Understanding that not all fats are bad, and taking in healthy oils is an important part of a balanced diet. There are so many delicious chia seed recipes, including breakfast bars, granola, fruit smoothies and more that adding this tiny seed to your diet is a snap.

What makes it extra amazing is, that unlike other health foods, you can make these seeds taste like whatever you want. They absorb any liquid they're placed in, (Remember Fact #1) and distribute the flavor. They have no flavor of their own, so they can't cover up or 'ruin' the taste of foods you love. They're as easy to use as 'measure & sprinkle on'! No messy grinding or any preparation is needed.
 
With the chia seed, you get all the nutrition, and all the taste. Remember: "You Are What You Eat" so eating healthy is a big step toward being healthy. Chia isn't some foreign miracle-berry or fruit grown in a far off land and sold at a premium price either--these seeds cost under a dollar a day. (for most brands)

If you're looking for an all natural, pesticide free, delicious and EASY way to lower your cholesterol, consider adding chia seeds to your diet, you'll be amazed at what they can do for you!

Proven Ways to Lower Cholesterol

High cholesterol has long been known to be a major factor in heart disease and premature death as a consequence, so lowering it is clearly a smart idea. There are 2 mains ways to lower cholesterol that have been established to work: 1) adopt a healthier lifestyle and 2) take cholesterol lowering drugs.

Hyper-cholesterolemia (as high cholesterol is termed medically) is becoming widespread particularly in the Western world and is almost certainly due to features of the modern lifestyle. For most people whose cholesterol is too high, relatively minor modifications to their diet and exercise regime will restore normal cholesterol levels.

Some people however are either already beyond what can be usefully achieved with lifestyle modifications or carry an inherited genetic disorder (familial hyper-cholesterolemia) that limits the benefits of diet and exercise. Such individuals will normally be prescribed drugs called statins whose potency can be altered to suit the individual both initially and over time.

Before looking further at these 2 strategies (lifestyle and medication), it's worth bearing in mind that when medical professionals discuss cholesterol in people they are referring to 2 specific kinds which are: LDL (often called "bad cholesterol") and HDL (labeled "good cholesterol").

LDL cholesterol (Low Density Lipoprotein) is a type of body fat (a lipid) that is produced as a result of the liver processing food. It is distributed via the bloodstream to supply energy to virtually every cell in the body and is therefore rather important. However, when more LDL than is necessary gets produced it tends to become deposited in arteries and veins, eventually clogging the system up with all too predictable consequences.

HDL cholesterol (High Density Lipoprotein, which means there is more protein than lipid) is able to soak up excess LDL and return it to the liver for recycling or waste. The human body however contains a much larger amount of LDL than HDL so it's an unequal struggle, but it has been shown that increasing the amount of exercise taken leads to an increase of HDL levels in the bloodstream.

Lifestyle modifications to lower LDL cholesterol are based on medical observations that excess weight, certain kinds of food, smoking, drinking and insufficient exercise are contribute significantly to high LDL cholesterol and that avoiding these things will therefore have the reverse effect and lower cholesterol levels.

Where dietary changes are concerned, the foodstuffs to cut down (or cut out) are those that contain high levels of saturated fat. Examples include hard cheese, butter, red meat, pastries, cakes and biscuits. At the same time also aim to increase the amount of fruit, vegetables, oat and beans present in the diet since these actively (and naturally) help lower cholesterol. So switching from butter to a plant sterol based spread (so-called "cholesterol lowering" spreads) ticks the boxes in both columns.

If lifestyle modifications alone prove insufficient to lower cholesterol below medically recommended limits then medical advice should be sought. The most common treatment for high cholesterol is a class of drugs called statins. These pills are not however to be regarded as an alternative to adopting a healthier lifestyle; they are supplemental to lifestyle changes.

The most commonly prescribed statins are (in ascending order of strength and using both clinical and brand names):

- Pravastatin (Lipostat)
- Simvastatin (Zocor)
- Atorvastatin (Lipitor)
- Rosuvastatin (Crestor)

Most people who are prescribed statins tolerate them easily and suffer no side-effects at all, but it should be noted that they can in some circumstances cause very serious damage to both muscle tissue and the liver, particularly when taken in high doses and accordingly it is common for patients to have reasonably regular blood tests to both monitor the effect of statins on cholesterol levels and to check for early signs of such internal damage.

So there it is - 2 proven, effective and medically approved ways to lower cholesterol. The difference between them is largely a matter of degree - taking prescription drugs is an extra measure over and above adopting a healthier lifestyle, which in most cases

5 Foods That Lower Cholesterol

1. Oatmeal & Oat Bran: Both of these are high in soluble fiber. Eating this type of fiber will lower your LDL or "bad cholesterol".

2. Walnuts & Almonds: These are packed with "good" fats and have been shown to have favorable effects on cholesterol levels.

3. Fish: Fatty fish such as mackerel, salmon, sardines, trout and herring also can have positive effects on your cholesterol levels. The omega 3 fatty acids found in fish can also be taken in pill form (fish oil).

4. Olive Oil: Adding extra virgin olive oil to your diet is an easy way to improve your cholesterol levels. Saut? vegetables in it, mix it with vinegar to make a salad dressing or add it to a marinade. This is another way to lower your LDL numbers.

5. Beans (kidney, lima, black, navy, pinto, garbanzo): Like oatmeal and oat bran, these beans are high in soluble fiber. They are also great sources of protein.

Adding these foods in with a regular fitness routine can help reduce or even eliminate the need for medication. Remember, food is not only our fuel but it also serves as our medicine. If your doctor has suggested medication then be sure to ask him/her if your dosage can be lowered or even eliminated if you can lower your cholesterol numbers with diet and exercise. Many doctors will write a script for medication before discussing any other options that you may have. As always, let me know if you have any questions or article suggestions.

Have a good one!
William
Personal Trainer
Boot Camp Instructor

William is the Orlando area's weight loss expert. Feel free to contact him to find out how his programs can help you reach all of your fitness goals.