7 Ways to Lower Cholesterol

1. Top way to to lower your cholesterol is exercise and plenty of it.
2. Drink two glasses of orange juice in the morning (make it a brand spiked with cholesterol lowering plant sterols)
3. A glass of wine/beer ever evening with dinner
4. Drink skimmed milk & don’t eat cheese
5. Use wholegrain bread & pasta
6. Have oatmeal for breakfast each morning
7. Drink 2 glasses of Cranberry or Grape juice everyday

Along with dietary changes to lower your cholesterol your doctor may prescribe some medication that will cholesterol levels, there are several different types of medication:

Statins:
Most widely used treatment & is tolerated in most patients.

Ezetimibe
Lowers bad cholesterol by working in the digestive track to reduce absorption of cholesterol.

Bile Acid Sequestrants
Bile acids sequestrants can be unpalatable and can cause gastrointestinal effects such as bloating, gas, abdominal pain & constipation

Niacin
A B Vitamin it lowers bad cholesterol & triglyceride, does have some side effects such as nausea, hot flashes & high blood sugar

Fibric Acids:
Are used mainly to treat high triglyceride and low HDL levels, these are often used in combination with another treatments

A diet consisting of plenty soluble fibre will reduce the amount of cholesterol in the blood. Good sources of fibre include oats, beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas, fruit & vegetables you should try to include more of these foods in your diet.

To lower your cholesterol one of the easiest ways to do it is to loose weight, and to lose weight effectively you need to avoid fatty foods & eat a healthy and balanced diet.

Types of Meat To Eat:
Chicken, Turkey, Veal, Rabbit & Game are all healthy and can be eaten daily and you can enjoy, Lean Beef, Bacon, Ham, Pork, Lamb & Liver in moderation.

Types of Dairy:
Skimmed milk , Low fat cheese, egg white, low fat yogurt and you can enjoy Semi skimmed ilk, feta cheese & parmesan in small quantities.

Types of Fish:
Akk white & oily fish are healthy and can be eaten daily however you should enjoy Fried fish, Oysters, Mussels, Scampi, Prawns, Shrimps & Lobster moderately

Types of fruit & Veg:
All types of fruit & veg should be eaten daily & you can enjoy the occasional portion of chips if they are fried in a suitable oil.

You can measure your cholesterol levels buy taking a blood sample, this is usually done at the Hospital or by your Doctor. Home cholesterol kits may not be very accurate, also Cholesterol is just one of the risk  factors for heart disease, so always try to use a Doctor to test for your cholesterol as these home kits will cost you just as much as a visit to the Doctors.

Lipids are fats that are found throughout the body. Cholesterol are a type of lipid, it is found in products from animal sources (this includes milk, cheese & butter). And plant item such as vegetables, grain & rice are cholesterol free.

Food  types that is high in cholesterol

- Whole milk dairy products (this can include full cream milk & ice cream) these products are loaded with cholesterol and should be avoided

- Cheese, again loaded with cholesterol and should be avoided.

- Certain shellfish such as shrimp/prawns

- Organ meats like kidney, brain & liver

- Duck & Goose, these have much higher cholesterol count than their other poultry friends

If you suffer from high cholesterol then you will want avoid these foods at all costs, it is usually over consumption of these foods that leads to high cholesterol, whether you are normal weight or obese you can still suffer from high cholesterol levels.

- Beef (all kinds of beef especially processed beef such as frozen burgers)
- Cheese (Cheese are very high in cholesterol & are very fatty)
- Baked Goods (Things such as pastries and store baked pies)
- Processed Meat (Sausages, Salami, Pepperoni etc)
- Egg yolks are high in cholesterol and should be avoided.

If you avoid all the above things, (not all the time , but moderation is the key to keep a healthy lifestyle.)