3 NATURAL WAYS TO REDUCE CHOLESTEROL
1 in 3 Australians have high cholesterol and over 2.6 million take medication to treat the condition. The average patient price for medication is $19.08 for 30 days. This adds up to over $220 per year...potentially for the rest of your life!
While medication is life-saving and essential for patients with clinical conditions like heart disease, many people can reduce their risk of heart disease and avoid, delay or reduce the need for medication through their diet.
3 Natural ways to reduce cholesterol:
Choose your fats wisely
Not all fats are created equal. Replace saturated and trans-fats with unsaturated fats. Eating a diet high in saturated and trans-fat is associated with increased risk of heart disease.
Foods rich in saturated and/or trans- fat include:
Dairy (whole milk, cream, butter, cheese)
Meat (fatty cuts of beef, pork, chicken skin)
Oils (coconut and palm oils)
Discretionary foods (pies, doughnuts, biscuits, chocolate, pastries)
Dripping and tallow from lamb or beef/blended vegetable oil (cheap supermarket oil)
Solid cooking margarine's e.g. Fairy, Frymaster, Crisco
Replace these with foods rich in unsaturated fat:
Extra virgin olive oil
Avocados
Nuts & seeds
Oily fish (e.g. salmon, mackerel, tuna, sardines)
Swap out refined carbs
What do carbs have to do with my cholesterol?!? Just like with fats, carbohydrate quality varies greatly and may affect blood lipids (fats) differently. Eating the healthiest sources of carbohydrate (e.g. unprocessed or minimally processed whole grains, vegetables, fruits & legumes) protects your heart and blood vessels.
Conversely, eating foods rich in refined/simple carbohydrates (e.g. white bread, pastries, sugary drinks, and other highly processed or refined foods) may contribute to weight gain and elevated blood lipids, therefore promoting heart disease.
Cut the calories
Carrying extra kilos, especially around the waist, places strain on the heart and may tip you towards heart disease. A study in Archives of Internal Medicine found that being overweight boosted risk of heart disease by 32%, whilst obesity increased risk by 81%.
If you are above your healthy weight, losing weight through diet and exercise can reduce your risk of heart disease.
This is a snapshot of my latest eBook 'High Cholesterol: What Your Doctor is Really Thinking'.
It's FREE! Download here
