Lowering cholesterol may seem like a daunting task to those who struggle with it on a daily basis. Low fat diets, high starches, more exercise...vegetables? There's no reason why it shouldn't feel so pressuring. The thing is, though, it's important, so you can't just give up on yourself. A huge part of your every day life is based on cholesterol, and keeping it at a healthy level consistently through a young age will certainly help you keep it secure as you grow older. The trick is that you can't think of this as a temporary diet or some sort of quick fix. The best and healthiest way to level out your cholesterol is to make significant changes to your every day life, and sticking to them.

A proper diet is the first thing that should be adopted in your new lifestyle. If you have high cholesterol, avoid excessive amounts of high cholesterol foods such as animal meats and dairy products. It is also important to avoid foods that are high in saturated fat, such as butter and cookies. Luckily, this isn't a diet where you completely omit all of these foods, because they aren't all bad for you, meats and dairy certainly have their benefits. What needs to be taken in to account, though, is the amount you take in, and how you could regulate that amount. Sometimes, finding substitutes or making small changes in how you even cook the food can help. For example, bake and broil your meat instead of frying it. Use non-stick spray instead of butter, and eat fat-free yogurt instead of regular yogurt.

Once you have mastered the art of a low cholesterol diet, you should turn your focus to increasing your physical activity. Whether you are overweight or not, physical activity will boost your body's production of HDL (good) cholesterol, while at the same time lowering your LDL (bad) cholesterol through burning fat. This is, in the truest form, killing two birds with one stone. Exercise routines aren't easy to get in to, though, especially for people that already have a busy schedule. Again, the best idea is to start off small. Waking up 20 minutes earlier will give you some time for a routine push-up/sit-up work out. While this isn't all that you'll need, it is certainly a start to go with your new healthy breakfast of egg whites (yolks are very high in cholesterol) and say, a bagel instead of that Boston cream donut. As you become used to this scheduled workout session, it is time to set more time aside. Even walking two miles (instead of running, if you can't) a day will put you in to a significantly better position. If you are overweight, slightly or otherwise, more exercise is recommended to not only speed the process, but also to quickly lower your LDL cholesterol levels.

Finally, try having a glass of wine with dinner every night. This seems absurd, but alcohol (1-2 drinks daily) can actually raise your HDL cholesterol. You have to be careful though, because too much alcohol can also raise LDL cholesterol.



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Unhealthy lifestyle, obesity, improper diet and food intake are the major factors responsible for high cholesterol levels. There are mainly two types of cholesterol - LDL (bad cholesterol) and HDL (good cholesterol). When there is excess of LDL in a person's blood, it will build up in the inner walls of his arteries which can end up causing the blocking of the arteries and thus causes atherosclerosis. Whereas, when there is a high amount of HDL present, it will actually aid in preventing heart attacks, though when the level of HDL is low, it can put the person at risk of experiencing a heart attack.

One of the major risks of having high total cholesterol is triglyceride, which is a type of fat that is obtained from the food that you eat and which is also produced in the body. When there is a high level of triglycerides, you are at a risk of having high total cholesterol in which you can get high LDL as well as low HDL.

According to health experts, diet plays an important role in lowering cholesterol level. When combined with a right medication, diet has a significant role in reducing cholesterol level.

Replace regular and full-fat dairy products to low fat or skimmed ones because these are not only good in lowering cholesterol level but also effective in managing your weight. Include plenty of vegetables and fruits because these are low in calories, cholesterol, and fat no matter how much you consume. Restrict saturated and trans fatty elements contained by hydrogenated vegetable oils because they increase blood cholesterol levels. Do not eat processed and junk foods. Take lean meats such as turkey and chicken meats in place of red meat because they are effective in decreasing cholesterol levels.

Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.

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The Mediterranean Diet is originate from the lifestyle of those who live surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, it includes over 30 varieties of cuisine ranging from Greek and Italian to Jordanian and Portuguese. All countries place their own cultural role on the diet, though the base is basically the same. The Mediterranean Diet is rich in fresh fruit and vegetables, carbs like bread and cereal and legumes. And of course, you can as well take pleasure in restricted amounts of fish, chicken and milk products. You may even treat with a little wine.

Although most researches on Mediterranean diet and its health benefits are observation, growing number of researches associate Mediterranean diet with greater longevity (anti-aging effect) and lower diseases numbers such as heart disease, Alzheimer's disease diabetes, cancer and hypertension, as compared to western diet. People in this region consume moderately red wine, olive oil, whole grain foods, legumes, fruits and vegetables that are high in antioxidants content.

The chief source of fat is olive oil. Dairy products (mainly cheese and yoghurt) and fish and poultry consumed in low to moderate amounts, zero to four eggs consumed weekly, red meat consumed in low amounts, and wine consumed in low to moderate amounts, normally with meals.

By its most vital, the Mediterranean diet is a nutritional replica that's supported on traditional eating performs in a number of countries around the Mediterranean. There is no one specific diet as each of these countries has its own food traditions, and even regions within a country can have very different menus. Yet, there are some consistencies between countries in this area. Most people in Mediterranean countries traditionally eat a diet high in fruits, vegetables, whole cereal grains, beans and legumes, seeds and nuts. Generally they have a tendency to use olive oil as their most important fat, and focus on unsaturated fats. And they eat only moderate amounts of poultry, fish, and dairy foods, and slight red wine.

A lot of the Mediterranean diet is invented of food from plant sources. This means breads, grains, and other carbohydrates, with an importance on whole grains, vegetables and fruit, and seeds, nuts, and other legumes. You can begin regulating your diet by deciding a better selection of vegetables; preferring whole grains, and making olive oil your major source of fat. Drink wine and eat cheese, excluding only in moderation. Red meat must be treated in much the same way.

Food is minimally processed and eaten as fresh as possible. The primary fat is olive oil, not butter, hydrogenated oils, or animal fats, as it often is in the United States. However, this oil isn't used carefully. People in these regions eat it on a regular basis, yet don't seem to suffer bad health because of it. Fish and poultry make up a low to moderate portion of the diet, and red meat is eaten only infrequently. Wine is drunk regularly, but in moderate amounts with meals.

However I like to suggest using the vital rules of a Mediterranean diet for everyday eating - likely, choosing foods rich in monounsaturated over saturates, eating more fruit and vegetables, basic meals on starchy foods, and eating more fish and beans and smaller quantity of processed foods.

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For the moment, why not start to incorporate the Mediterranean way of life into your own daily schedule? All right, you might not be able to take a daily siesta, but you can start to get more creative in the kitchen, support the family to eat together around the table and at present winter is here, even enjoy meals inside.



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