How to Lower Your Cholesterol Without Medication

Cholesterol is a scary thing to some people, especially those who have doctors telling them that their “bad” cholesterol is too high. (“Bad” cholesterol, or LDL cholesterol, is considered bad because it increases the risk of heart disease and can block arteries. It is found in most fried foods.) What most people don’t realize is that, just switching to margarine or going for a run every once in awhile isn’t going to automatically lower your cholesterol. But your life doesn’t have to be filled with boring vegetables. You can lower your cholesterol without medicastion and still enjoy eating and living life, with a few changes that will improve your health and hopefully, your outlook on life.

The most important thing to do when trying to lower cholesterol without using medication is to avoid saturated fats. Both margarine and butter are high in fat, so you should use both in moderation. In other words, cutting out butter and switching to margarine won’t do any good if you’re piling the margarine on in slabs! Also, soft margarine is shown to have less fat than stick margarine, so you can keep this in mind at the supermarket.

One of the simplest things you can do to lower your cholesterol without using medication is to cut out deep fried foods. Things such as french fries, fried chicken and onion rings contain more bad cholesterol and saturated fat. Instead of having french fries, why not try some grilled asparagus with olive oil? French fries, donuts and crackers are major sources of saturated fat in the diet. Also, eating less red meat, especially burgers, helps. Many restaraunts and supermarkets now have turkey burgers that you can use as a substitute, and they taste quite good.

There are also foods that can help to lower your cholesterol and even help you to burn fat. For instance, oatmeal is considered very good for your heart and also helps to boost your metabolism. Cheerios have been shown to lower cholesterol levels as well.

You can watch out while you’re cooking and shopping as well. When shopping, get whole wheat bread instead of white bread and look for snacks that are unsalted. You can usually find “kettle cooked” or baked potato chips with no cholesterol, but make sure to really read the label because they could be high in saturated fat. When buying soup, look for soup that is low in sodium. When buying milk, look for 1 %. Cooking is another area that you can improve by making some substitutions. You can use egg whites or egg beaters instead of regular eggs, cutting out the yolk and therefore, the majority of cholesterol. Use liquid vegetable oil and margarine instead of butter. Use low fat cheeses, like ricotta or part skim mozzarella. And finally, look out for processed meats, like salami or sausage. Low fat varieties are now available in most places and you should always look for them. Eat processed meats in limited amounts.

Aside from eating, exercise is very important, as are lifestyle changes. I know that many smokers do not want to hear this, but it will be very hard to get your cholesterol down if you smoke cigarettes. Drinking alcohol should also be done in moderation, as some studies have found that drinking affects the heart. For the most part, you should make sure that you are exercising at least 30 minutes per day. This doesn’t mean you have to join a gym and spend a ton of money and time. Thirty minutes a day means going for a run or a walk around your neighborhood, doing aerobic exercises like dancing or taking an aerobic class or using a dvd of some sort to help motivate yourself.

It is not hard to lower cholesterol, it is just hard to give up french fries, cookies and whole milk. But when you look at the bigger picture, it’s much easier to quit smoking, go for a run or eat egg whites than it is to overcome a heart attack or a stroke. Think about that, and go get some margarine.