Female: Whether you are in the 18% of Americans with high cholesterol or not, you can benefit from living a low cholesterol lifestyle.
Male: A low cholesterol lifestyle involves making conscious decisions to eat, play and live in a way that will help lower your levels of harmful LDL cholesterol. Cholesterol is a fatty substance that is found in the body. Some cholesterol is necessary for basic functions but here is the catch, the body usually makes all the cholesterol it needs. With this in mind, it makes sense to lower your intake of fats. In fact it is best to limit total fat intake to less than 30% of your daily calories.
All fats are not created equal though and fall into different categories: saturated, unsaturated and trans-fatty acids. Saturated fat is found primarily in foods from animals like beef, eggs, milk and cheese. Because saturated fat is the main dietary cause of high-blood cholesterol, it is best to limit it to less than 7% of your daily calories. The unsaturated fats are found in many fish, nuts, seeds and plant oils. They should make up about half of your daily fat intake. Perhaps the worst fats are trans-fatty acids and hydrogenated fats. Traced amounts of these are found in animal products. They are also formed during the process of hydrogenation, which all margarine, shortening and cooking oils are made. Understanding and limiting your intake of fats is an important step toward a cholesterol-friendly diet but it essential to increase your fiber too. Consuming 25 to 30 mg of fiber-rich foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains daily can help lower LDL cholesterol.
A healthier diet is a great start and exercise can make your program even more efficient. Aim for 30 minutes at least three times a week. Well, physical activity is not known to impact bad LDL cholesterol; it does increase the level of HDL or good cholesterol lowering the risk of heart disease. And finally, one of the most important things you can do to lower your cholesterol level is to stop smoking or decreasing the amount of time you spend around smokers. Smoking is a double blow. It lowers levels of HDL cholesterol and makes your body resistant to heart healthy exercise. High LDL cholesterol is bad news but lowering your cholesterol can help. Remember to see your doctor before you begin a new exercise or diet program.
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