Lowering Cholesterol Naturally

Lowering cholesterol naturally is the easiest way for your body to get back in balance, and reduce high cholesterol.  Using holistic (whole body) methods stresses your body far less than prescription drugs.

But you see, on TV and in magazines, all kinds of drugs to lower cholesterol.  Your doctor may want to prescribe them if your blood cholesterol levels get out of hand.

Here are some good reasons to take action before it reaches that point!  Or if you are already on prescription cholesterol drugs, here’s how to reduce or eliminate them.

Why Lowering Cholesterol Naturally Makes Sense

Your body, especially as it gets older, has a tough time dealing with prescription drugs.  And while at times they may be necessary, you still want to be off them as soon as you can.

Statin drugs, those most often prescribed for high cholesterol levels, can have serious side effects.  I’ve seen first-hand with family what these side-effects can do.  They can even be more life-threatening than any cholesterol reading!

Here’s more information on the side effects of statin drugs, which can be scary.

Naturally is Cheaper

Lowering cholesterol with natural methods ends up being cheaper than prescription medications and doctor visits.  Instead of spending hundreds of dollars a month on pills and trips to your doctor’s office, why not spend less and feel healthier?

For example, eating foods to lower cholesterol can help reduce your readings faster than you might think.  And it’s not all “boring” foods, either — dark chocolate anyone?

There’s an inexpensive (less than $10 a month) vitamin that can raise HDL (“good”) cholesterol by 15 to 35 percent, while at the same time lowering LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and triglycerides.  Find out more about niacin and cholesterol, and why you want this vitamin!

And yes, exercise is also a natural way to lower blood cholesterol levels.  You don’t have to train for the Olympics, either — even just 15 minutes a day can make a difference!

What Are Triglycerides and Cholesterol?

If you’re just starting your research, you may have the question, “What are triglycerides and cholesterol, and what do they do in my body?”  You’ll discover that both are necessary for your body’s well-being; the problems come only when they are significantly out of balance.

Lower Cholesterol Naturally — Now!

Take steps today to get healthier, naturally.  You don’t need to spend lots of money to do it, either.  Lowering cholesterol naturally is usually less expensive, not to mention much less stressful on your body.

Explore these posts and learn how you can reduce LDL cholesterol, raise HDL and feel better.  All it will cost you is a little time, and it may end up saving a life — yours!

Lowering LDL cholesterol is actually more important than lowering your total cholesterol level.  Why?  Because LDL cholesterol is the “sticky kind” that leads to blocked arteries.

Something important to note is that you can have a total cholesterol reading under 200, but still you could have high levels of LDL.

Instead of going the route of statin drugs, let’s look at some other ways to lower cholesterol naturally.

Foods to Avoid – High Cholesterol

Food high in saturated fat is certainly a risk factor for developing both high triglyceride and cholesterol. So reducing the amount of saturated fat in your diet is a key factor in lowering cholesterol naturally.  Therefore, limit your consumption of saturated fat foods; some include:

• Fatty red meats
• Foods with trans-fats
• High-fat and high sugar foods like full-fat ice cream.

But what about eggs?  For years they were shunned due to high amounts of cholesterol, but the thinking has changed.  If the chickens are fed a diet of corn and grain, they lay eggs containing heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids.  But “factory raised” chickens tend to be missing the omega-3 component, and should be eaten sparingly.

Cholesterol Lowering Food

Cholesterol lowering food is easy to add to your everyday diet.  They don’t taste like cardboard, and contain all kinds of vitamins and minerals — in addition to lowering cholesterol naturally!  Here are some lowering LDL cholesterol foods.

• Fatty Fishes With Omega 3:  These are cold-water fish like salmon, mackrel, tuna and more.  But don’t fry the fish!  Grilling or broiling keeps from adding more oils to your diet.
• Nuts That Are Good:  Nuts that contain omega 3s are also great to add to your diet.  Walnuts and almonds lead the list, and are heart-healthy.  However, do keep track of how  much you eat — nuts tend to be rather high in calories.
• Green Leafy Vegetables:  Yes indeed, you should add plenty of deep green leafy veggies.  Think spinach salads, dark green lettuce, broccoli and such.  They contain essentials vitamins andminerals, in addition to something very important — fiber.
• Fiber — Your Friend:  Soluble fiber, found in things like apples, vegetables and whole grains, help to “trap” LDL.

These are all foods that you should be adding to your diet.

Lowering LDL Cholesterol

Any information on lowering LDL cholesterol isn’t complete without mentioning niacin.  This simple vitamin can do wonders for trapping and lowering the LDL.

Granted, you need to take higher doses of niacin than you find in your normal multi-vitamins, but there are plenty of companies that now produce the vitamin in amounts to give LDL cholesterol the boot!

(And it only costs pennies a day — niacin is really a deal.)

So to sum it all up, lowering LDL cholesterol is greatly helped by both including cholesterol-lowering foods, as well as taking a daily dose of niacin.  Here’s to your health, and lowering cholesterol naturally!