Things you can do to manage your cholesterol
Things You Can Do To Manage Your Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a combination of genetics and lifestyle and here are the top things you can do or avoid doing to make the biggest impact on your numbers.
- Get exercise every day. According to the American Heart Association 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity daily will do. You can break this into 10-15 minutes segments. This includes walking, jogging, gardening, and even housework.
- Don't smoke.
- Drink in moderation. This means no more then 1 drink per day for women and 2 drinks per day for men.
- Eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables and low in saturated and trans fats.
Below, is more specific information from the AHA on fat intake. Here a few quick tips on how to stay within the suggested guidelines. Eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, don't buy anything with hydrogenated oil in it (read the ingredient list), limit things such as butter and red meat as it is high in saturated fat, and eat foods high in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats such as nuts, fish, avocados, seeds, olive oil. Contact me for more specific diet ideas.
Know Your Fats
Knowing which fats raise LDL cholesterol and which ones don't is the first step in lowering your risk of heart disease. In addition to the LDL produced naturally by your body, saturated fat, trans-fatty acids and dietary cholesterol can also raise blood cholesterol. Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats appear to not raise LDL cholesterol; some studies suggest they might even help lower LDL cholesterol slightly when eaten as part of a low-saturated and trans-fat diet.
The American Heart Association's Nutrition Committee strongly advises these fat guidelines for healthy Americans over age 2:
- Limit total fat intake to less than 25–35 percent of your total calories each day;
- Limit saturated fat intake to less than 7 percent of total daily calories;
- Limit trans fat intake to less than 1 percent of total daily calories;
- The remaining fat should come from sources of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats such as nuts, seeds, fish and vegetable oils; and
- Limit cholesterol intake to less than 300 mg per day, for most people. If you have coronary heart disease or your LDL cholesterol level is 100 mg/dL or greater, limit your cholesterol intake to less than 200 milligrams a day.
Here's to a healthy heart!!
Amy
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