It doesn’t take a genius to guess that heart diseases and heart health has a lot to do with high cholesterol, which is medically called, hypercholesterolemia. If you’ve recently been diagnosed with this condition, it would mean that you might need to take charge of your life and you’d have to keep an eye on your lifestyle. Your lifestyle and the choices you make might be the actual culprits behind your poor health. If you do get prescribed drugs by your doctor, it would mean that you would still be expected to put down your levels by becoming more active and changing your diet.
Use these simple tricks to help you out.
All cholesterol is not bad for your body. Your body wouldn’t be able to survive if it was stripped of all the cholesterol levels. It needs cholesterol to survive and function properly. But if you stock up on the saturated fat, it might raise the levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol in your body. This will lead to the building up of plaque in the arteries; and will eventually pave the way for heart diseases. The better way out would be to indulge in the ‘good’ cholesterol; and this will help with clearing out the ‘bad’ cholesterol from your blood.
The most common reason for high cholesterol is that we’ve all gotten used to the supersized meal. We like to eat like kings, yes! But ever wondered why we end up eating like 10 kings at the same table? If portions are twice (or more) the recommended size of a portion, it would mean that high levels of weight gain and high cholesterol are on their way.
The easiest method of portion control would be to use your hand as a guide. Fish or meat servings should not go beyond the size of your palm. Fresh fruits should not be bigger than your fist and cooked veggies, pasta or rice should fit no more than your cupped hand.
Healthy heart diets are the way to go:You could try loading up the empty place on your dish, by dishing out more veggies and fruits. Around five to nine servings in a day should do you good. These help in lowering the ‘bad’ cholesterol levels. Most fruits and vegetables might also have antioxidant properties; and those never did hurt anyone. In fact, they might do you good.
Plus, when you do stock up on the fruits and the veggies, you will be consuming lower levels of fat; and that definitely is good news. Either ways, this will amount to lower levels of blood pressure and will help in losing and maintaining a healthy weight.
Fish should be on your menu at least twice a week. Fish has lower levels of saturated fat; and generally is high in the levels of healthy omega 3 fatty acids content. These help in reducing the levels of triglycerides and this is a type of fat that is present in the blood. Omega 3 fatty acids could also help in reducing the levels of cholesterol in the blood, which would mean less build up of plaque in those arteries that are oh-so-essential to the transportation of oxygen-rich blood.
Indulge in fatty fishes, like tuna, salmon, sardines and trout. Just make sure that you’re not deep frying them. That’ll kill all the health benefits they had to begin with.
A whole grain cereal or a bowl of oatmeal might be the perfect way to say ‘good morning’ to the day. The complex carbohydrates combined with the fiber will help you feel fuller for longer. This way, you’ll avoid binge eating at lunch. A good breakfast would also mean that you’re keeping a watch on your ‘bad’ cholesterol levels. This could have a huge impact on that weight loss program that you’re on these days. You could opt for some brown rice, whole wheat flour, wild rice or some whole-wheat flour.
The most beneficial (and rather healthy) option for a snack would be a handful of nuts. These are high on the monounsaturated fat front and this is what will lower the levels of bad cholesterol in your system.
People who have around an ounce of nuts in a day are said to have lowered levels of risks when it comes to heart diseases. Nuts are said to be high on the calorie front; which is why it makes sense to eat a handful only. Ensure that these are not covered in sugar or chocolate.
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