Step 1: Know where you are, so you can get where you want to be.
Know your risk for heart disease and understand your numbers.
Risk factors you cannot control:
Increasing age
Male Gender
Family History
Race
If you have one or more risk factors you cannot change, it's that much more important to focus on the ones you can.
Risk factors you can change:
Tobacco use
High blood cholesterol
High blood pressure
Physical inactivity
Excess Weight
Diabetes
Stress
Alcohol
The five numbers you want to keep track of include:
- Total Cholesterol
- LDL (bad) cholesterol
- HDL (good) cholesterol
- Triglycerides
- Blood Pressure
Step 2: Balance fats to work with you, not against.
Examine the fats in foods you eat and how they are affecting your cholesterol levels.
To be heart healthy, you need to decrease your saturated fat and trans fat intake. Replacing saturated and trans fats with unsaturated fats will raise HDL (good) cholesterol and lower total cholesterol. Total fat intake should be 30% or less of total daily calories.
Saturated Fat
Saturated fat increases blood cholesterol levels and should be limited to less than 7% of your total daily calories.
Sources – meat, milk, cheese, ice cream, butter, lard, shortening, hydrogenated vegetable fat, palm oil, and coconut oil.
Unsaturated Fats
There are different types of unsaturated fats – monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Unsaturated fats promote heart health in moderation.
Monounsaturated fats
Sources – olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil, sesame oil, avocadoes, peanut butter, nuts, and seeds.
Polyunsaturated fats
Sources – soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil, salmon, mackerel, herring, trout, nuts, and seeds.
Step 3: Tackle triglycerides once and for all.
What are triglycerides and what foods do you currently eat that are causing your levels to sky rocket?
Limit Simple Sugars
Sugar has a significant influence on triglyceride levels. Avoid foods that contain a high concentration of simple sugars – soft drinks, candy, baked goods, syrup, table sugar, jelly, and honey. A high intake of fruit juice can also raise triglyceride levels since it contains a high content of natural sugars.
Limit Alcohol
Limiting alcohol intake is key, especially when trying to reduce triglyceride levels. Even small amounts of alcohol raise triglycerides.
Increase Physical Activity
Physical activity will help lower triglyceride levels while increasing HDL (good) cholesterol. Aerobic activities are the best choices. If you are currently sedentary, check with your doctor before starting an exercise program. Shoot for 30 minutes 3 or more days a week.
Step 4: Discover omega 3 fatty acids and use them right.
Omega 3 fatty acids are involved in the regulation of heart rate, blood pressure, and blood clotting.
Sources
Oils - canola oil, soybean oil, flaxseed oil (good source of ALA)
Seeds and nuts - flaxseeds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, Brazil nuts, sesame seeds
Vegetables - avocados, some dark leafy green vegetables (kale, spinach, mustard greens, collards)
Fish (good source of EPA and DHA) - salmon, mackerel, sardines, anchovies, albacore tuna, lake trout, herring
Step 5: Don't skimp on the roughage, rake it in and watch your numbers drop.
A high fiber diet is necessary for heart health. You need 25-35 grams of dietary fiber daily. There are two fiber categories – soluble and insoluble.
Insoluble Fiber
Insoluble fiber moves waste through the intestines and maintains intestinal acid balance.
Sources
- Fruit and root vegetable skins
- Vegetables (green beans, celery, cauliflower, zucchini, beets, turnips, potato skins, and dark green leafy vegetables)
- Wheat and whole-wheat products
- Wheat oat
- Corn bran
- Seeds and nuts
Soluble Fiber
Soluble fiber is the type of fiber responsible for lowering total cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.
Sources
- Oat and oat bran
- Legumes (dried beans and peas)
- Nuts
- Barley, rye
- Flaxseed
- Fruits (i.e. oranges, apples, prunes, plums, berries)
- Vegetables (i.e. carrots, broccoli, potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions)
- Psyllium husk
Step 6: Create your own fool proof plan for the health results you want!
You know where you, where you need to go, and how you are going to get there.
You can't tackle everything at once. Establishing a plan of action and time table for each step is critical to achieve your goals.
A set plan ensures your success!
How I Help You Lower Cholesterol
