Healthy Thinking,
If you have been told that you have high cholesterol, it’s time to do something about it. High cholesterol puts you at serious risk of heart attacks, stroke, and other dangerous cardiovascular events.
Fortunately, you can reduce your cholesterol relatively quickly and easily if you follow these five steps.
How to Lower Cholesterol – Tips from South Denver Cardiology Associates
Switch to a Mediterranean Diet
There are actually many dietary guidelines that you can follow to improve your cholesterol (for example, see our 10 Simple Steps to Lower Your Cholesterol), but if you’re looking for the easiest way to do it, you can’t beat the Mediterranean diet. High in fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, nuts, fish, and olive oil, but low in red meat, this diet encapsulates many of the common dietary suggestions you’ll encounter.
Not only that, but Mediterranean diet recipes are easy and can use produce from your garden. Take advantage of our extended summer and use up some of the excess produce that’s still on the vine.
Increase Exercise
Increasing your exercise will do wonders for your cholesterol. If you haven’t been very active before, it’s a good idea to talk to your cardiologist before starting an exercise program. Even better, you can Walk with a Doc to enjoy a healthy social activity.
Ideally, you want to work up to 30 minutes of exercise five days a week, or 20 minutes of vigorous exercise three days a week.
Supplement Fiber
When you switch to a Mediterranean diet, you’re probably increasing your fiber consumption. However, it still might not be enough. Fiber is important because it can prevent fat and cholesterol from entering the bloodstream. In addition, it can encourage the liver to pull cholesterol from the blood.
Psyllium husk is a great choice for your fiber supplement. It’s commonly available in Metamucil and similar fiber supplements.
Lose Weight
And if you’re already switching to a Mediterranean diet and increasing your exercise, it’s not actually that hard to lose a significant amount of weight. Just keep eating reasonable portions and getting your daily exercise, and you should lose weight – unless you have other health problems you might want to talk to your doctor about.
Drink Alcohol in Moderation
Moderate alcohol consumption has been shown to increase your levels of good cholesterol, which, in turn, can reduce your levels of bad cholesterol.
The effects aren’t enough to encourage people to start drinking, but it does mean that perhaps it’s a good idea not to cut all alcohol from your diet just for the sake of reducing calories.
Let South Denver Cardiology Associates Help
If you are trying to improve your health by cutting down on your cholesterol, South Denver Cardiology Associates offers many programs that might be useful. This includes our gym and various exercise classes.
We can also help you assess the seriousness of your heart problems with extensive diagnostic testing options. For example, we offer a heart scan that looks at the calcification of your heart arteries. This can help you understand your heart risks in the near term.
To learn more about the benefits of working with South Denver Cardiology, please call 303-744-1065 or use our online form to schedule an appointment today.
- Author
- Recent Posts
Randy Cupps Graduated from Western Colorado University in Gunnison, Colorado, in 1983 with a degree in Physical Education with an emphasis
in Exercise Physiology. Randy started his medical career in 1980 as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) working on an ambulance and in an emergency room. He then joined South Denver Cardiology in 1986 when it was South Denver Cardiac Rehabilitation as an Exercise Physiologist conducting a wide variety of Graded Exercise Testing on a diverse patient population. Randy continues to keep his EMT current, and he is certified by the American
College of Sports Medicine as a Clinical Exercise Physiologist. In 2012 Randy acquired the role of business development, marketing, and physician relations manager at SDCA.
Sign Up
As with any health concerns, your specific treatment program should be discussed thoroughly with your primary care physician as well as any specialists who may need to be consulted – like a cardiologist.
Sign UpWhat is the fastest way to reduce cholesterol?
The Best Carbs to Lower Cholesterol, Say Dietitians
- Oats. Oats are a classic choice, and there are so many ways to play it up in order for you to enjoy it. ...
- Figs. Figs are not only really good for improving your bone health, but both fresh and dried figs are also packed with vitamins and minerals and contain fiber.
- Beans. ...
- Apples. ...
How to lower cholesterol naturally in thirty days?
What foods lower cholesterol immediately?
What to Eat to Lower LDL (Bad) Cholesterol Quickly
- Good vs. Bad Cholesterol. ...
- Foods That Lower Cholesterol Fast. A sedentary lifestyle, smoking, obesity and poor nutrition all contribute to elevated cholesterol. ...
- Eat Plenty of Avocado. An avocado a day keeps heart disease away. ...
- Swap Processed Meat for Fish. ...
- Fill Up on Beans. ...
- Start Your Day With Grains. ...
- Lower Your Cholesterol Levels Naturally. ...