Are you battling high cholesterol? If so, you’ve probably been told by your doctor that high cholesterol can increase your risk for heart disease and heart attacks. To help get your cholesterol under control, your doctor may have prescribed medications but lifestyle changes can also help.
Making healthy food choices and getting more exercise can improve your cholesterol, but many people aren’t sure where to start.
To help, here’s a list of small choices you can make each day to improve your cholesterol:
1. Reduce your red meat intake
How often do you eat a cheeseburger or steak? If you’re eating red meat frequently, it’s time to cut back. You don’t have to eliminate it from your diet, but try substituting chicken or fish once in a while.
2. Increase your fiber
Try adding a little more soluble fiber to your diet. You can find that in oatmeal, kidney beans, apples, and pears.
3. Start exercising, slowly
If you’re new to the exercise world, start slow. Go on a walk every morning, start biking, or consider training for a 5K. For many people, registering for an event like a 5K offers a goal to strive for. Work up to the distance slowly.
4. Lose weight
As you begin to exercise, you’ll also lose a few pounds. When you carry extra weight, it impacts your cholesterol levels. Start exercising first and once you’re in a routine consider counting calories to drop a few pounds.
5. Quit smoking
If you’re a smoker, it’s time to quit. Within three months of quitting, you’ll not only see better cholesterol but you’ll also see better lung function. Within a year, your risk of a heart attack will reduce by half.
6. Curb the drinking
Having a drink once in a while is fine, but moderate drinking is linked to high cholesterol. For men, that means sticking to one or two drinks a day. Any more and it messes with your cholesterol.
