GET MOVING
Eating the right foods goes hand in hand with exercise. Getting your heart pumping is a great way to get healthy. Here are some good things to do to get that cholesterol where it needs tobe.
- Golf
Now you have a great reason to hit that golf course. According to Michele Stanten, Prevention.com’s Fitness Director, when 55 sedentary, middle age men started playing golf two or three times a week, over a five month period they Increased “good” HDL cholesterol by 5%, and lowered “bad” LDL cholesterol and triglycerides by 4%.
- Walking
Walking is a very effective exercise for getting healthy. In fact, taking a 15-20 minute walk every day can reduce your bad cholesterol by up to 8%.
- Yoga
According to www.yoga.com, yoga can be very beneficial at getting cholesterol levels where they need to be. Practicing yoga on a regular basis improves the blood and oxygen flow in the body, which aids in the removal of toxins and waste.
GO NATURAL
There are lots of vitamins, minerals and herbs that can help get those cholesterol levels where they need to be. Below are some ideas to help you.
- Pantethine
Pantethine can significantly reduce LDL-cholesterol (the bad) while increasing HDL (the good) levels in several clinical trials. While you can get pantethine in supplement form.
Pantethine also occurs naturally in these foods:
- Vegetables
- Dairy
- Eggs
- Grains
- Meat
- Liver
- Salmon
- Yeast
- Artichoke Extract
This heart healthy extract can help lower your cholesterol levels. In studies, it’s been proven to lower cholesterol up to 18%.
- Vitamin C
Vitamin C is great at reducing bad cholesterol. Says Sudhir Kurl, MD, “Vitamin C minimizes artery damage from free radicals, reduces blood pressure, and helps control cholesterol.”
- Vitamin E
Taking Vitamin E each day may help keep the bad cholesterol out of your diet, which in turn helps your heart to be healthy. Vitamin E also raises the level of good cholesterol.
- Calcium
Research shows that calcium can help reduce cholesterol. It attaches to cholesterol-carrying bile acids and expels them from the body as waste, thus lowering the total cholesterol and the LDL cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol).
- Policosanol
Policosanol is a mixture of alcohols isolated and refined from sugar cane and has been associated with lower levels of LDL. You can read more and order some here:
http://www.loweringcholesterol.net/supplement-category/Policosanol.
- Chromium
A study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition concluded that chromium significantly lowers cholesterol levels. Among 300 patients, those receiving chromium had cholesterol reductions of 20 points, on average. But don’t overdo it. You only need about 200 mcg a day.
- Beta Glucan
Glucan is found in oats, barley, yeast and mushrooms. Recent studies have shown it to be beneficial in lowering cholesterol. It’s not very expensive and you can buy it in 100 and 200 mg capsules.
- Soy Isoflavones
The American Heart Nutrition Committee advised in 2000 that Americans with high cholesterol should add soy protein to their diets. In that report it was said that soy isoflavones lower LDL and raise HDL.
- Red Yeast Rice Extract
Red yeast rice is an all-natural powder made from dried, fermented rice. Red rice yeast lowers cholesterol because it contains, among many other chemicals, one of the statin drugs.
- B Vitamins
B vitamins can help reduce your cholesterol. The family of B vitamins includes Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12 and Folate (Folic Acid). A good B-complex vitamin will have all of these in it.
- Beta Sitosterol
Beta Sitosterol is a plant product that has structural similarity to the cholesterol made in our bodies. Because of this, it isn’t absorbed into the body very well. This poor absorption “fools” your body into getting rid of the real cholesterol, lowering it as a result. You can learn more and order some here:
http://www.loweringcholesterol.net/supplement-category/Beta-Sitosterol.
- Guggulipids
Guggul is an Indian herb that has been used for centuries. When studied, it was discovered that guggul reduced cholesterol in some people 14-27%. Guggul also reduces platelet stickiness so over clotting does not occur in the blood, reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke. You can read more and order some here:
http://www.loweringcholesterol.net/supplement-category/Guggul.
- Jiaogulan
This Asian herb targets heart disease. It sweeps up unstable molecules that damage or destroy healthy cells, reduces pressure within the blood vessels, and lowers the production of bad LDL cholesterol. You can learn more and order some here: www.immortalityherb.com
- Other Herbal Products
There are tons of other herbal products out there that claim to reduce cholesterol. Among them are:
- Fenugreek seeds and leaves
- Yarrow
- Holy basil
- Ginger
- Turmeric
- Rosemary
- Green Tea
- Licorice Extract