cholesterol

The 5 best lifestyle changes to lower cholesterol

Importance of lifestyle correction

Through the right lifestyle changes it is possible to reduce blood cholesterol levels; of course, the desired progress is to be considered proportional to the severity of hypercholesterolemia and the inadequacy of the initial lifestyle, and cannot be predicted or quantified in relation to the general population.

Lifestyle changes in the case of high cholesterol ARE ALWAYS NECESSARY, whether it is a primitive (hence genetically based) or secondary hypercholesterolemia, and that is already compensated pharmacologically or not; cholesterol-lowering drugs are (usually) DEFINITIVE therapies, therefore, it is necessary that lifestyle improvement PRECEDES the medical decision to undertake a specific pharmacological cure.

Lifestyle changes to lower cholesterol can determine:

  • The reduction of the chances of undertaking a pharmacological treatment
  • Improvement of the effect of a treatment already in progress and the consequent reduction in dosage
  • The abolition of drug treatment.

Top 5 : the 5 best lifestyle changes for high cholesterol

It is therefore possible to identify, among the numerous useful indications, the 5 best lifestyle changes to lower cholesterol:

  • Reduction of body fat (improvement in the lean mass / fat mass ratio), ie LOSING but without reducing muscle mass: in the case of overweight, an estimated weight loss between 5 and 10% of the overall weight contributes to greatly improving the lipid profile blood; as anticipated, the importance of the progress achieved is proportional to the initial level of overweight / obesity.

    Two primary precautions are necessary: ​​a) STOP buying junk food b) Replace all the comforts (elevator, transportation, parking near the destination ...) with your own physical movement (go up and down stairs, walk or move to bicycle).

  • Eating foods that can promote one's health: the choice of food is a very important factor and represents a change in the essential lifestyle to fight high cholesterol. Even if, up to that moment, one has "eaten one's stomach", it is never too late to start a diet that "promotes heart and artery health"! This means that, in food choices, it is necessary to prefer above all the 5 best groups of foods that lower cholesterol (see dedicated article); respectively:
    • foods rich in soluble fiber (instead of refined foods)
    • foods rich in essential fatty acids ω ‰ 3 + foods rich in AGE ω ‰ 6 + foods rich in fatty acids ω9 (instead of foods rich in saturated fats, hydrogenated ... especially trans ... and dietary cholesterol)
    • diet foods containing phytosterols and / or stanols.
    In this way one should obtain a lowering of total cholesterol, a lowering of LDL cholesterol, a lowering of triglycerides, a lowering of blood pressure and an increase in HDL. In short, the best dietary change to lower high cholesterol is made up of: substitution of fatty, preserved meats and fatty cheeses with small portions of dried fruit, use of extra virgin olive oil or peanut or soy ( all rich in ω9 and ω ‰ 6, or ω ‰ 3 for soy) to season, predilection for bluefish or cold seas, use of lean and predominantly white meat WITHOUT SKIN, consumption of 2 portions of fresh fruit and 2 portions of fresh vegetables a day and, if desired, use of dietary foods with stanols and phytosterols.
  • Exercise every day; motor activity, besides favoring weight loss, induces a significant increase in HDL. After visiting a sports doctor, changing one's lifestyle by starting to play sports is a desirable behavior; we remind you that it is always necessary to ascertain - through a specialist visit - that the body can withstand the initial stress of starting sport, avoiding the risk of unpleasant or dangerous events. We recommend at least 30-40 'per day of aerobic activity, while wanting to reduce the frequency to 3-4 sessions, at least 60' each are indispensable; NB : If the work and family commitments allow it, it is advisable to associate a parallel muscle-building session with the aerobic activity, in order to avoid excessively depleting the muscles with the diet in the presence of aerobic activity.

    Joining a team or finding a training partner is the "key" for good compliance with motor therapy.

  • Smoking cessation, ergo, quit smoking! Smoking causes a rise in blood pressure and a reduction in HDL, increasing cardiovascular risk; changing one's lifestyle by stopping smoking determines some immediate physiological improvements (lowering of blood pressure), while after a year the risk of cardio vascular is halved. 15 years after the interruption, the body would totally restore its cardio-circulatory fitness.
  • "SE" uses alcoholic beverages, moderates portions: alcohol, or better, red wine (rich in antioxidants) promotes the raising of HDL improving cholesterolemia. Therefore it is advisable to change one's lifestyle by consuming the recommended dose of wine equal to 1-2 glasses per day, as excess would lead to an aggravation of the overall health and an increased risk of death.

To conclude, my suggestion is to respect the quoted MA, relying however on 2 specialized professional figures (only one if he has the right skills): a food expert and a sports technician / personal trainer. By investing little money (it is not said that the tariff is an indicator of the skills and knowledge of the professional) it is possible to "lighten" the responsibility of having to hit the right diet and the right physical training by channeling all of your energy on the commitment to apply the best 5 lifestyle changes to lower cholesterol.

NB . In the event that the diet was characterized by COMPULSIVE binges, therefore loss of control or other ambiguous attitudes such as GRIGNOTTAGE (eating disorders or border-line cases), it is ESSENTIAL to seek the intervention of a psychologist or a psychiatrist for any specific diagnosis and / or therapy.