Three Easy Ways to Lower Your Cholesterol

If you have a high blood cholesterol level, lowering your cholesterol doesn’t have to be hard. And according to the MCGHealth Cardiovascular Center, it’s is one of the best things you can do for your heart.

High cholesterol levels can lead to a build-up of plaque in your arteries, which increases your risk for heart attack or stroke. But three simple steps can help you lower your cholesterol and your risk.

1. Eat well. Eating well is one of the easiest ways to lower blood cholesterol. Eating well means dining on a variety of foods, such as fruits and vegetables; cereals, breads, pasta and other whole-grain products; and lean proteins such as fish, poultry (without skin) and leaner cuts of red meats. Include low-fat dairy in your diet too.
     
   When you’re at a restaurant, look for the words steamed, broiled, baked, grilled, poached or roasted, and chances are, these foods are low in saturated fat and cholesterol.
     
   Locally, the MCGHealth Cardiovascular Center is helping to make these dining-out decisions even easier. Look for the MCGHealth-certified Heart Healthy logo (a heart and stethoscope) next to heart-healthy menu items at participating restaurants.
        
2. Have fun, indoors and out. By exploring your surroundings and your community, you can be active, social and help fight heart disease. The American Heart Association recommends a total of 30 minutes of activity on most or all days of the week. So plan to devote a half-hour to yourself every day. Walk or bike your neighborhood, local park or other beauty spot, or learn a new sport, like rollerblading. Invite family or friends to join you, and catch up on what’s been going on in their lives. Joining a local health club or gym can give you more opportunities to be social and offer a wider variety of activities, including swimming, an indoor track, tennis, fitness classes and weight machines. Or simply plan to walk every day at lunch. Remember too that the recommendation is for 30 total minutes of activity, so that extra flight of stairs or a few more minutes of “window-shopping” around the mall counts!
       
3. Talk to your doctor. Sometimes you need extra help to reduce cholesterol levels. That’s where your doctor comes in. He or she can prescribe medications to help fight high cholesterol. If you’re still struggling, talk with your doctor again and ask about adjustments that can be made to your plan.
   Lowering your blood cholesterol level really is that simple. Start today!

Previously
on WAGT