TEN NATURAL WAYS TO CONTROL YOUR CHOLESTEROL
Most doctors will tell you that high cholesterol is very bad for you; it clogs your arteries and eventually may lead to heart disease or stroke. What they don’t always tell you is that there are two types of cholesterol: LDL (Low-density lipoprotein) and HDL (High-density lipoprotein).
• LDL is usually referred to as ‘Bad’ cholesterol. It can build up on the walls of your blood vessels (plaque) narrowing them and blocking blood flow to and from the heart and other organs, hence causing heart disease or stroke.
• Conversely high levels of HDL cholesterol can lower your risk of heart disease and stroke! HDL absorbs cholesterol and carries it back to the liver. The liver then flushes it from the body.
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If you are found to have high cholesterol you are probably going to be offered medication to lower it. Yet in most instances, a healthy lifestyle can lower our LDL cholesterol and improve our HDL levels to keep a good balance.
Here are a few simple ways to help produce good HDLs and reduce harmful LDLs:
1.Transfats and saturated fats
Reduce both trans fats and saturated fats because they raise LDL and lower HDL.
• They’re found in cakes, pastry and fried foods, therefore, laying off the pies, pizza, biscuits and fish and chips (and takeaways in general) will instantly reduce your intake.
2. Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats
Both polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids help to lower LDL:
• Many plant-derived oils such as sunflower oil, olive oil, grapeseed and peanut oils contain both.
• Seeds, nuts, soybeans avocados and fatty fish are very good sources of both poly and monounsaturated