According to studies, 6 in 10 Indians have abnormal levels of bad cholesterol. The studies reveal that individuals between 31-40 years of age have the highest rate of bad cholesterol. High levels of LDL (low-density lipoprotein) or bad cholesterol happen because of consuming junk foods and a poor diet. It goes hand-in-hand with obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Through this article, you get to learn about the ways to maintain cholesterol levels.

Nine Ways To Maintain Your Cholesterol Levels

Consume Foods That Are Heart-Healthy

Changing your diet helps you maintain your cholesterol levels. First, reduce the consumption of saturated fats found in red meats and full-fat dairy products. Second, eliminate foods that contain trans-fats, such as cookies, crackers, and cakes. Third, incorporate foods like salmon, mackerel, flaxseeds, and walnuts, as they contain omega-3 fatty acids. Lastly, include soluble fibre such as oatmeal, apples, pears, and sprouts in your diet as they absorb LDL cholesterol from your bloodstream.

Do Regular Exercise

If you have a desk job and are gaining weight, you are at risk of having high cholesterol levels as well. Regular exercise reduces the levels of Triglycerides, which is another type of fat and often associated with high levels of HDL cholesterol. It also promotes blood circulation and helps transport lipoproteins through the bloodstream, and this, in effect, prevents the accumulation of cholesterol in the arteries.

Consequently, it reduces the risk of atherosclerosis, that is, hardening and narrowing of arteries. Thirty minutes of intense physical activities like brisk walking, jogging, exercises, or cycling can help raise the high-density lipoprotein or the ‘good’ cholesterol. You can go out with an exercise buddy or even for long walks with your pet to keep your motivation up.

Also Read: Optimize Your Health: Top 10 Benefits Of Regular Walking

Lose Those Extra Pounds

Maintaining an optimum weight helps you remain healthy. But, if you are a bit overweight, it contributes to your high cholesterol. You can make small changes like drinking plain water instead of sugary beverages, staying away from fried foods, taking the stairs instead of elevators, walking around the office during lunch breaks, and doing household activities like cooking, cleaning, and ironing clothes.

Substitute Your Cooking Oils

You shouldn’t eliminate fats entirely from your diet and substitute them with unsaturated fats that reduce the ‘bad’ cholesterol and increase the ‘good’ cholesterol. Rather than using butter and mayonnaise, try using olive oil. Peanut, avocado, and canola oil are good options for cooking. In addition to these oils, you can use oils like flaxseed and walnut oils that are sources of Omega-3 fatty acids and are beneficial for your heart health.

Quit Smoking

When you look at the side effects of smoking, the focus is mainly on the lungs, but smoking increases the risks of heart disease, stroke, and high cholesterol. Cigarette smoke contains chemicals that can damage the blood vessels, increase LDL cholesterol levels, and increase the levels of triglycerides. It causes waxy plaque to build up in your arteries, which narrows the arteries, resulting in less blood flow in the body.

Also Read: How To Quit Smoking: Top Ten Healthy Ways

Limit Your Alcohol Intake

Alcohol is a stress reliever to many, but continuous consumption of alcohol can damage not only your liver but also other organs of your body. Your body breaks down the alcohol into triglycerides and cholesterol in the liver. When the triglycerides become high in your liver, it causes fatty liver disease, and consequently, the liver cannot remove the cholesterol from your blood. It leads to a rise in ‘bad’ cholesterol levels and increases the risk of heart disease. Therefore, you should try to limit your alcohol intake, or if possible, you shouldn’t drink alcohol at all.

Manage Your Stress Levels

Chronic stress refers to psychological and emotional stress over a prolonged period of time. It occurs when you experience stressful situations without any scope for relaxation. This type of situation can be very harmful to the body as it becomes a risk factor for heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar levels. You can do yoga, breathing exercises, and meditation to reduce stress. Take a break from work and go for a vacation to recharge yourself.

Meditation

Through meditation, you can train your mind to achieve a state of focused attention, relaxation, and heightened awareness. You should meditate to achieve a state of inner peace and calm. The benefits of practising meditation include reducing blood pressure, insomnia, depression, anxiety, and alcohol cravings. Chronic stress leads to a build-up of cholesterol in the body; when you practice meditation, you allow your body to relax and reduce stress levels. It also helps reprogram your mind to deal with stressful situations more efficiently and reduces the release of stress hormones that damage your cells.

Also Read: 10 Effective Natural Remedies For Anxiety

Schedule Regular Health Checkups

Doctors recommend to have regular health checkups after the age of 30. These health checkups help you know if you are facing any issues, and you can start managing them early. You can take a blood sugar level test to check whether your sugar levels are in range. Cholesterol level tests let you know if you have high cholesterol and vitamin deficiency test informs you which vitamin is missing in your body.

In Conclusion

Cholesterol, in general, is not bad for the body. But, if the levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol increase in the body, consequently, it leads to the narrowing of arteries due to plaque development. These nine ways help you maintain your cholesterol levels.