What food items can reduce my cholesterol?

The cause of high cholesterol can be through things we control like our lifestyle as well as things that we cannot control like family history and age. Staying on top of factors you can control through small changes can reduce your risk of developing cardiovascular and heart disease. We address your concerns with easy tips to help you make changes now.

1. What food items can cause my high cholesterol to increase?

If you’re suffering from excessive cholesterol levels, then it’s vital to avoid eating more saturated fat. Foods high in saturated fats include processed and fatty meats pie and pastry butter, cream and coconut oil.

Certain foods are loaded with diet-related cholesterol, however they do not make a huge difference in the cholesterol levels of your blood. These include eggs, certain shellfish such as crabs, prawns, and prawns, as well as like liver pate, kidney and liver. They are not high in saturated fat , and are safe to consume in a balanced diet.

2. What food items can reduce my cholesterol?

The most effective way to consume healthier is to replace your saturated fats with those that contain a lot of unsaturated fats like vegetable oils (sunflower, olive , and rapeseed oils) along with nuts, seeds, avocados and oily fish.

Just a few minor changes could make a huge difference in your cholesterol. A lot of people claim that they do not notice the change. Try:

switching butter for spreads made from vegetable oils such as olive, sunflower or the rapeseed oil spreads
switching from whole milk to skimmed
making use of natural yogurt in place of sour cream, or double cream
substituting regular mince with lighter and lower fat alternatives
swapping processed or red meat with fish, turkey or chicken that is skinless or plant-based proteins, such as soya, lentils or Quorn.
Change your crisps’ salt for unflavored nuts
having cheese with reduced fat in place of regular cheese.
ordering less takeaway. Instead, you can try our nutritious comfort food for delicious and healthy options for your heart.

Consume fibre to reduce cholesterol levels.

Consuming foods high in fibre can aid in lowering your cholesterol. Fibre reduces levels of cholesterol absorption into bloodstream through your digestive tract.

Try to eat at 5 portions of fruit and vegetables per day, as they contain fibre as well as other nutrients.
Consume plenty of other high-fiber foods such as pulses (such as beans, lentils and chickpeas) Oats and seeds.
Make sure to choose more wholegrain products when you can, for example, brown or granary breads over white bread.

3. Exercise can help lower cholesterol levels?

Yes, it can. The ability to pump your blood by engaging in exercise can lower the amount of cholesterol you have. Activeness helps your body to move bad cholesterol to the liver, where it will be eliminated from your system.

It is not necessary to join an exercise class or take part in long walks if you aren’t enjoying it. Instead, take advantage of opportunities to get moving more often. A lot of people have found that exercise enhances their mood, and they are more likely to make healthier choices with their food. You can try:

Taking the stairs instead of using the lift
an active walk in place of an easy walk
performing two-minute bursts or jump at jacks many times per day
pilates or yoga if aren’t able to get out
our workouts to complete when you’re at home.

4. Do I have to stop smoking to reduce my risk of developing high cholesterol?

If you’re a cigarette smoker, you may already know that you must quit if you have high cholesterol. Smoking can increase ‘bad cholesterol and decreases “good cholesterol’, thereby increasing the risk of heart strokes and heart attacks.

If you’re struggling to quit smoking, speaking to your GP is an excellent start or, if you’re living in England you can reach for the NHS Stop Smoking Service.
Additionally, there are free services available in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

These services are capable of providing you with useful tips on how to manage cravings and eventually quit smoking.

5. Do I need to stop drinking when I have high cholesterol?

Reduced consumption of alcohol can assist your liver in working better to decrease high cholesterol. It can also help enhance the health of your heart in other ways, such as helping you lose weight and lower blood pressure.

Our top recommendations for drinking alcohol include:

Drink under 14 units in a week
You can have a few days per week that you don’t consume alcohol in any way
Beware of excessive drinking by drinking just half of what you typically drink
Order a small glass of the wine, or half pint beer.