How to Reduce Bad Cholesterol
A little attention to detail never hurt anyone and may have benefits if it involves monitoring what you put in your body. Reduce your bad cholesterol through simple disciplined measures that are proven to help.
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You Will Need
- Exercise
- Reflection
- Greens
- Nuts
- Fish
- Smart fats
- Drugs
- Commitment
- Checkups (optional)
Steps
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Step 1
Disrupt fat with exercise
Use exercise to naturally disrupt the metabolism of fat. Eating less helps, but excess body fat will keep cholesterol up until you actually lose pounds by breaking a sweat. Moderate walking and workouts five days a week can raise good cholesterol by 10 percent.
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The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health suggests everyone 20 and over should check their levels of bad cholesterol every five years.
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Step 2
Relax and reflect
Relax and reflect periodically, rather than give in to the high tension that constricts arteries and raises blood pressure. If you're constantly stressing out, consider making some long-term changes that will eliminate some of your stres for good.
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Step 3
Get good greens
Drink green tea, full of compounds that can help lower bad cholesterol. Eat leafy greens as well, for soluble fiber that sponges up cholesterol in the digestive tract.
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Step 4
Consume nuts
Consume nuts instead of cheese, meat, or croutons in salads. According to the Food and Drug Administration, a daily handful of 42.5 grams of nuts may reduce cholesterol and the risk of heart disease.
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Step 5
Substitute fish
Substitute meat with fish twice or three times weekly. Consuming fish can profoundly lower cholesterol and triglycerides.
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Step 6
Choose smart fats
Select smart fats for your diet, substituting canola or olive oils for vegetable oil, butter, margarine, lard, or shortening. It's not merely fats, but the kind of fats you eat, that make the difference.
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Eggs do not drastically increase cholesterol.
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Step 7
Take drugs to lower cholesterol
Take a cholesterol-lowering drug if you have evident cardiovascular risks. Beforehand, consider alternatives like niacin, bile acid resins, and fibrates.
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Step 8
Commit to win
Resolve to make changes, and live a healthy lifestyle. It's your life -- only you can make the changes to lower your bad cholesterol.
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In 2010, researchers identified nearly 100 gene variants possibly linked to as much as one third of hereditary factors influencing cholesterol production.
