9 Tips To Control Your Cholesterol Levels Naturally

By Mamta Singh

Saturday, January 25, 2014, 16:31 [IST]

The stressful lifestyle that we are exposed to on a daily basis has started taking its toll on this generations health. As a result, most of us suffer from diabetes, obesity and blood pressure issues at a very young age now.

The sedentary lifestyle, wherein one does nothing but warm up the office chairs for long, is doing no good. Kids and young adults, who should actually take out time for playing and other physical activities have reduced to being couch potatoes, spending hours in front of televisions and playing computer games or just being stuck with social networking sites.

All this has led to the problems of high levels of cholesterol in the body, which is alarming. It increases the chances of heart attack and strokes, and other life threatening problems.

So how to control cholesterol and go about taming this monster? Listed below, you will find some time tested tips to lower down your cholesterol levels and reduce the chances of heart ailments.

Lose Weight

Try to lose weight. This is a great way to control cholesterol levels naturally. Incorporate a healthy eating routine. Start cutting down on tea, coffee and fast food and give way to natural and rich-in-antioxidants healthy food. Try adding in loads of fresh fruit, beans and green leafy vegetables in your diet, and, you would see the difference in your weight and cholesterol levels in just a few days.

Exercise

Another cheap and easy way to lower your cholesterol levels naturally is exercising. Even a 30-minutes walk daily will go a long way in bringing down those cholesterol levels. Avoid taking elevators and lifts through the day and try the staircase instead. Try indulging in some form of physical activity. These small steps would help curb those rising cholesterol levels.

Opt For Good Oils

An excellent way to control bad cholesterol is to stock up on foods rich in omega 3-fatty acids. If you are a lover of fish, salmon, tuna and mackerel would be your saviors, because of their rich omega 3-fatty acid content. Almonds, milk and walnuts are supposed to to be rich in them too.

Avoid Fatty Foods

Fatty foods like cookies and fries contain trans-fat which is good enough to raise your cholesterol levels. Try cutting down on them. It's preferable if you can just spare a few minutes to check the ingredients list before buying a food product. In case it says it has trans-fat, stay away from it.

Onions

Members of the onion family, like spring onions, garlic and normal onions are supposed to be great for your heart. Try incorporating them in your meals and in your salads. Take in as much of garlic as possible, to control cholesterol levels naturally.

Use Healthy Oils For Cooking

Replace your vegetable oils, ghee, butter and margarine with healthier options like olive oils and canola oils. Using these substitutes in your meal preparations and salad dressings will help your heart benefit tremendously.

Stop Smoking

Stop smoking. It's extremely bad for your heart and your lungs, and leads to bad cholesterol.

Nuts

Incorporate nuts, legumes, and unprocessed grains in your meals.

Green Tea

Gulp down as much of green tea as possible. It's extremely rich in antioxidants and is excellent to lower those cholesterol levels. Replace your cold drinks, sodas, tea and coffee with this miraculous drink, and you would notice the amazing effects instantly. This is an easy and effective way to control your cholesterol levels naturally.

Make sure you get your cholesterol levels checked frequently to keep it under acceptable norms. Incorporate any of these simple and inexpensive ideas, and see the difference in your health and energy levels in just a few days. Stay safe and be healthy.