You can’t resist roasted chicken and steaks. Or can you? Every delicious food out there contains an ample amount of cholesterol. Research has shown that most of the heart diseases are caused due to the deposition of cholesterol and fats in arteries that narrows the lumen and hinders proper blood supply to the heart. That is why the heart muscles start to die which causes a heart attack.
Cholesterol intake fixation is a big problem in today’s world. People are obese due to diets focusing on cholesterol-rich food intake.
To keep everything in check, such people start taking drugs and other medications that come with numerous side effects.
But is there a way to control your cholesterol without relying on medication? Though there are essential oils for cholesterol but there are other ways also.
Here is how you can lower it:
Go for cholesterol tests
Check NMR particle sizes for cholesterol. Ask your doctor for this test. You must know if you have light and fluffy cholesterol particles and if they’re safe or if you have small, dense cholesterol particles that can destroy your arteries. You can’t differentiate between the two via a regular test.
Metabolic syndrome check
Is your tummy bulging out? Measure your waist and your hips (at the widest point). If your waist and hip ratio is greater than 0.9 (if you are a man) or it is 0.8 (if you’re a woman), then there’s a problem because you have the metabolic syndrome. A person suffers from this syndrome if the ratio of triglycerides to HDL is greater than 4 or simply put if your triglycerides are greater than 100 and your HDL is less than 50.
Go for a glucose-insulin test. This test is very important, and most physicians neglect this. Check your hemoglobin A1c as doing so measures your blood sugar levels for the past 6 weeks to help keep a record. If it is greater than 5.5, you most probably have metabolic syndrome and need to treat it.
Eat healthy
A healthy diet can sort out a lot of health problems. Being more specific it can help control your cholesterol without taking medications. Eat a high fiber diet that contains a low glycemic content and is phytonutrient and omega-3 rich. In other words, your diet should be preferably plant based. You are required to eat good quality protein food i.e. nuts, beans, seeds, and animal protein (best if grass fed) to help control cholesterol without medication.
Exercise
Any kind of aerobic exercise can also help make a difference in your cholesterol levels even if you tend to do it at a low intensity. It’s important to keep yourself active and increase the blood supply throughout your body.
Get adequate sleep
Sleep is very important for your body’s overall wellbeing. It helps in healing your body and maintaining balanced blood sugar levels.
Use supplements
Supplements can do wonders for your health and are not considered medication. You can simply go and buy supplements that support healthy cholesterol particle size and keep your calorie count normal without gorging on food. However, only use them after consulting your doctor.
Using Coriander Seeds
Start consuming more of coriander seeds in your diet. Research has shown that coriander seeds help lower the overall cholesterol, LDL, and triglycerides.
Onions
Add onions to your daily meals. Red onions are proven to be beneficial in combating high cholesterol levels. Scientists in Hong Kong found that they help get rid of bad cholesterol and help lessen the risk of heart disease.
Quit smoking
Quitting smoking helps balance cholesterol levels in your body in combination with a thousand other benefits such as keeping your blood clean, lungs healthy, etc. Within 20 minutes of quitting, your blood pressure decreases and heart rate slows down. As the time passes, your risk of developing heart disease would be similar to a person who never smoked.
There are a lot of practices that you can add to your daily routine to control cholesterol without taking medications. Consult your doctor before you decide to make drastic changes to your diet or lifestyle.
