Lower Blood Cholesterol Naturally with Exercise and the Right Foods

Daily exercise doesn't only help people manage their weight, but it helps in maintaining a lower blood cholesterol level. The causes of high blood cholesterol are from various factors like genetics, a high fat diet, and lack of exercise, obesity and for women it's hormones. Women get a natural boost of HDL (good cholesterol) from their hormones until they reach menopause.

Changing your eating habits is a necessity too if you were eating a lot of high fat content foods. A change in diet will only be beneficial in the long run as a healthy diet will decrease the risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes.

One of the best ways to lower cholesterol naturally is exercise daily for at least an hour or break it down to two 30 minutes intervals. Any type of physical exercise is good for you like biking, hiking, jogging, walking, swimming, tennis, etc.

Here are some other ways to lower blood cholesterol.

* Have no more than 3 eggs per week or eat egg whites or egg substitutes
* Cut the fats from meats
* Eat a smaller portion of meats and choose lean meats (chicken, pork, beef etc.)
* Drink skim milk or 1% milk
* Eat canned sardines to boost your HDL and it's also rich in omega-3 fatty acids
* Eat smaller portions of ice-cream or choose ice milk
* Choose low-fat dairy products
* Bake, broil or roast your meat instead of frying; remove the skin on chicken
* Eat more fruits and vegetables
* Eat fish at least once a week
* Choose margarine over butter
* Eat more starch and fibre
* Have more home cooked meals

It will take some time to adjust to your new way of eating so do this gradually. You may want to consult with a dietician. If you want to do it on your own here are three tips to help you make the changes.

1. Figure out what needs to be changed. Evaluate your eating habits like if you need to add fish to your diet or eat out less. You don't have to cut out all of your favourite foods. You can look for food substitutes, eat them sparingly and eat smaller portions.

2. Then make a promise to yourself to change for the better. It's way better to do this naturally than to be popping cholesterol pills which for some people provides a false sense of security that you don't have to make a diet and lifestyle change and that's completely untrue.

3. Make it a habit and start reading labels! It's amazing what you will learn about foods when you read labels.

These are the ways to lower blood cholesterol naturally, and it's well worth the time and effort as your health depends on it. It's never too late to make changes, but make them now and live a healthier tomorrow.

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

Get more healthy living tips on Sophia's blog HealthyPerspectives.blogspot.com, featuring an array of health topics, nutrition, recipes and fitness for maintaining an overall healthy and well-balanced lifestyle.

She founded WorkAtHomeSpace.com, a free work at home resource focusing on providing work at home jobs, healthy living, articles, business resources and other work at home related topics.

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