- Cholesterol-lowering food
- Cholesterol-lowering exercises
- Lifestyle changes
- Cholesterol-lowering drugs
- How to increase HDL cholesterol (good)
The treatment to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol does not always consist of taking medication. Usually the treatment starts with changes to a healthy style, with a balanced diet and practice of physical activity and quitting smoking, alcohol and stress. But if all these changes are not enough, the cardiologist can prescribe medication to control cholesterol.
Total cholesterol should not exceed 200mg / dl and those with high cholesterol should have a blood test at least once a year, but those who have never had problems with cholesterol, nor cases of high cholesterol in the family should have the test at least every 5 years. However, when parents or grandparents have high cholesterol it is important to have the test every 3 years from the age of 20 even if you have never had high cholesterol. Find out what are the reference values for cholesterol.
The maintenance of ideal blood cholesterol rates is important because its elevation increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases and events such as heart attack, for example, which can be avoided with some relatively simple measures to be achieved.
Cholesterol-lowering food
The best home-based treatment for lowering cholesterol consists of a diet that should be low in fat and rich in whole foods and fiber, and should favor weight loss. Ideally, the BMI is below 25 kg / m2 and the waist circumference is less than 102 cm for men and less than 88 cm for women.
- What to eat to lower cholesterol: fruits, vegetables, whole grains such as oats, flaxseed and chia, lean meats such as skinless chicken and fish, soy products, low-fat milk and yogurt, white cheeses such as ricotta cheese and herbs for seasoning foods. It should also be preferred to prepare grilled food, steamed or with little oil added during cooking.
Eggplant is a good natural cholesterol-lowering remedy that can be used in recipes and juices or in capsule form.
- What to avoid eating to lower cholesterol: sugar, sweet breads, sweets in general, cakes, ice cream, sausages like sausage, sausage and salami, fatty meats like bacon, bacon, tripe and gizzard, yellow cheeses like cheddar and mozzarella, butter, margarine, frozen food like pizza and lasagna and fried food in general.
Check out the tips from nutritionists to lower high cholesterol:
Cholesterol-lowering exercises
Physical activity contributes to the treatment of cholesterol and heart disease because it helps to lose weight, increases the amount of muscle in the body and reduces stress. Aerobic exercise such as walking or cycling should be performed daily for about 30 to 60 minutes. Stretching exercises and exercises that increase muscle strength, such as weight training, are also recommended.
It is also important for the individual to take advantage of small opportunities in the day to be more active, such as going shopping, walking, using the stairs instead of the elevator and the escalator, and going out to dance. If you are not in the habit of exercising, here is a good walking training for beginners.
Lifestyle changes
It is also important to quit smoking and avoid using any alcoholic beverages during the treatment of high cholesterol, as alcohol increases triglycerides and favors weight gain. Quitting smoking requires willpower, but it is possible and there are several treatments that can help in this process, such as the green tea cigarette and quitting 1 cigarette each week, thus reducing dependence on nicotine. Using nicotine patches is also a way to stop smoking that has good results.
Regarding alcoholic beverages, it is recommended to take only 1 glass of red wine daily, before going to sleep, because it favors sleep and is rich in antioxidants that favor the whole organism. Beer, cachaça, caipirina and other alcoholic beverages are not recommended but can be consumed in moderation on special days after the doctor's release.
Cholesterol-lowering drugs
Treatment with cholesterol-lowering drugs should always be prescribed by your doctor. Starting to use these drugs depends on factors such as age, blood pressure, good cholesterol and triglyceride levels, whether the person smokes or not, whether he has diabetes and whether he has relatives with high cholesterol and heart disease.
Some remedies commonly used for the treatment of cholesterol are: Simvastatin, Atorvastatin, Lovastatin and Vytorin. The remedy to choose varies from person to person, as it depends on factors such as age and severity of the high cholesterol problem. Check out some examples of cholesterol-lowering drugs.
A novelty in drug treatment was the approval of the drug called Praluent, which consists of an injection that can be applied every 15 days or just once a month.
How to increase HDL cholesterol (good)
To increase HDL (good) cholesterol, exercise such as walking or running should be done at least 3 times a week. In addition, a diet should be made, reducing the consumption of red meat and industrialized products, such as cakes, stuffed cookies and chocolate, and increasing the consumption of fish such as sardines, tuna and salmon, of foods rich in good fats such as avocado and chestnut, besides adding olive oil to the salad.
Another common problem for people with high cholesterol is high triglycerides. See: How to lower triglycerides to prevent heart attack.
