Heart diseases have become quite common these days and increasing levels of cholesterol is a major contributor to the same. The worst thing about cholesterol is that you might not experience any symptoms even if your cholesterol level is high. But it can lead to severe medical conditions like Chronic kidney diseases, Diabetes, High blood pressure, Heart diseases, and Hypothyroidism which are lethal. An unhealthy and sedentary lifestyle and consumption of junk food are the major causes of the increase in cholesterol levels. However, you can keep your cholesterol under control by doing certain lifestyle modifications. We connected to Ms. Indrani Ghosh Chief Dietician, Manipal Hospital Salt Lake, Kolkata for her inputs on the same.
Eating Healthy Food
Diet impacts the overall health of the person and thus it is important to ensure that we eat right. Here are a few food intake habits that you can adopt to reduce your cholesterol level:
- Reducing intake of saturated fats such as red meat, and full-fat dairy products can help reduce bad cholesterol. Dairy products can be replaced with low-fat milk products, soy milk, soy paneer and curd.
- Eating more soluble fibres such as kidney beans, oatmeal, sprouts, fruits and green leafy vegetables. Whey protein must be added to the diet as it helps to reduce cholesterol levels and also maintain BP.
- Eating omega-3-rich food products such as flaxseeds, walnuts, chia seeds, and salmon can help to maintain cholesterol levels.
Exercise
A sedentary lifestyle impacts the level of cholesterol (low calorie food items) thus it is advisable to include at least 30 minutes of exercise 5 times a week to reduce the risk of heart disease. You can engage in brisk walking or you can play some sort of sports for the engagement of the muscles. You can opt for stairs rather than lifts if it is feasible.
Quit Smoking
Smoking is not only bad for the lungs but it also increases the risk of heart attack by increasing the level of high-density cholesterol (HDL). Thus, it is advisable to quit smoking to reduce the HDL.
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Moderate Alcohol Consumption
Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to serious health issues among which cholesterol is a major one. Thus, it is advisable to maintain the alcohol intake level to reduce cholesterol levels.
Reducing Weight
You should keep your body mass index (winter weight loss secret) in check to reduce your cholesterol level. For this it is advisable to avoid binge eating, replace fried snacks with air-fried popcorn, and avoid sugary food and drinks.
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Follow these simple lifestyle changes to reduce your cholesterol level.
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