Cholesterol Lowering Foods And Exercises

Many people tend to suffer from high cholesterol levels which in turn are known to be one of the major contributors towards strokes and heart disease. In such cases the doctor would usually recommend that they go on a cholesterol diet plan and also remain physically active. Most cholesterol diet plans will require the individual to reduce the consumption of saturated fats as they tend to increase the cholesterol levels considerably. Cholesterol is also found in high quantities in animal products such as poultry with skin, fatty cuts of meat, lard and whole milk dairy products. Hence the cholesterol diet plan should contain avoid these foods and instead contain foods like skinless poultry, lean meat and skimmed milk instead. One should also choose foods such as vegetables, fruits and whole grains foods that are known to be low in fat and instead high in fiber and starch, and include them in the cholesterol diet plan. One of the cholesterol diet tips is to reduce the amount of fats consumed as they tend to have twice the amount of calories that are present in proteins or carbs. In fact the consumption of excessive dietary at may also increase the risk of colon cancer or breast cancer in an individual.

Diet Plan & Exercises

The cholesterol diet plan should also have plenty of starch and fiber rich foods such as pasta, cereals, vegetables and so on as they are a good source of vitamins and minerals as well as antioxidants. These antioxidants are required by the body to reduce the effects of cholesterol as they prevent the cholesterol from being changed chemically and thereby prevent it from moving out of the bloodstream and into the blood vessels lining. Exercise is also an integral part of a cholesterol diet plan and hence both of them need to go hand in hand. Physical exercise tends to raise the HDL or the good cholesterol levels and also lowers the LDL or the bad cholesterol levels. Additionally, being physically active is also known to be beneficial for lowering ones blood pressure and also improving the fitness of ones blood vessels and heart as it helps on reducing stress. One may also incorporate certain cholesterol lowering foods into ones cholesterol diet plan such as olive oil which may be used instead of salad dressing or other oils. Similarly, foods like oatmeal, barley, pears and prunes are also known to be good cholesterol lowering foods as they are rich in soluble fibers which act like sponges and soak up the cholesterol from ones diet.