Do you know why cholesterol is called as a silent killer? Because it silently builds up in the body and increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in your blood. Your body needs cholesterol to build healthy cells, but high levels of cholesterol can increase your risk of heart disease. With high cholesterol, you can develop fatty deposits in your blood vessels. Eventually, these deposits grow, making it difficult for enough blood to flow through your arteries. Sometimes, those deposits can break suddenly and form a clot that causes a heart attack or stroke.
High cholesterol can be inherited, but it’s often the result of unhealthy lifestyle choices, which make it preventable and treatable. A healthy diet, regular exercise and sometimes medication can help reduce high cholesterol. Lets discuss about a holistic approach that can help in lowering the cholesterol level naturally. First, it is important to be mindful of the types of fat you consume because it directly impacts your cholesterol level. A new trend is to order food online from quick food delivery services. Sometimes you may find this very convenient. But unfortunately, saturated and trans fat found in such ready-made food and fried food can definitely increase your cholesterol level.
Cooking simple food at home
I advise you to cook simple meals at home. Home-cooked meals will give you better control over ingredients and cooking methods. By preparing meals at home, you can also ensure that the food is rich in nutrients and low in unhealthy fats. Choose healthier fats like those found in avocados, nuts, and seeds, which can actually help lower your cholesterol. If you like home cooking, you may know about the health benefits of garlic. According to Ayurveda, garlic is known to lower the cholesterol level. It contains allicin, a compound, which helps in reducing cholesterol.
In general: A total cholesterol level of less than 200 mg/dL (5.17 mmol/L)is normal. A total cholesterol level of 200 to 239 mg/dL (5.17 to 6.18 mmol/L) is borderline high. A total cholesterol level of 240 mg/dL (6.21 mmol/L) or greater is high.
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Here is a recipe where you include garlic in your diet.
Take a teaspoon of crushed fresh garlic and ginger. Add one teaspoon of fresh lime juice and mix it nicely. Have this mixture before every meal. Besides garlic, there are also other rich nutrient foods that you can add to your diet if you want to lower your cholesterol level. I would recommend amaranth leaves, chia seeds, strawberries, chickpeas, and sunflower seeds. These foods are rich in fibers, antioxidants, and plant sterols. All of these can help you in reducing LDL, your bad cholesterol. Apart from mindful food habits, regular physical activity would help maintain your cholesterol level. If you walk just 1000 steps a day, it can make a big difference.
If possible, walk in such a way that you are in a hurry to go somewhere. Walking helps in increasing your HDL, a good cholesterol level, and decrease LDL, or bad cholesterol level. Another advantage you will find is that making walking a regular habit can help keep your weight in control and improve overall cardiovascular health. Practicing yoga asanas and pranayama will reduce your stress level as well as cholesterol level too. Specific yoga asanas like Ardha Matsyendrasana and Haspan Angushkasana will stimulate your abdominal organs. They will also promote digestion and metabolism to help in cholesterol management.
How do you measure cholesterol levels?
A blood test called a lipoprotein panel can measure your cholesterol levels. Before the test, you’ll need to fast (not eat or drink anything but water) for 9 to 12 hours. The test gives information about your:
- Total cholesterol – a measure of the total amount of cholesterol in your blood. It includes both low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.
- LDL (bad) cholesterol – the main source of cholesterol buildup and blockage in the arteries
- HDL (good) cholesterol – HDL helps remove cholesterol from your arteries
- Non-HDL – this number is your total cholesterol minus your HDL. Your non-HDL includes LDL and other types of cholesterol such as VLDL (very-low-density lipoprotein).
- Triglycerides – another form of fat in your blood that can raise your risk for heart disease, especially in women.
Do visit https://medlineplus.gov/cholesterol.html
A few sets of Surya Namaskar every day is the best way to reduce cholesterol. It also improves blood circulation and strengthens your cardiovascular health. Yoga in the pranayama form will not only calm your mind, it will also reduce your stress and lower your cholesterol level. Overall, what I can say is that holistic approach that combines mindful eating, regular physical activities, and stress reducing practices can definitely help reducing the level of cholesterol. So by making these simple but very effective changes, you can take charge of your cholesterol level and look forward to a healthier and happier life.