 Cholesterol. Twenty-five years ago no one was talking about it even though it had been identified in the 1700’s. My dad never asked my grandpa what his LDL level was and grandma was content providing homemade fried chicken
, potatoes, gravy and some of that infamous combination Jell-O, whipped cream and fruit salad thing she loved so much.
Today we exist in a stressful series of counting calories, fat grams, carbs, sugar and, yes, cholesterol. Where our grandparents were blissfully ignorant of the dangers of cholesterol we often obsess about it. We take drugs to keep it low and then struggle to deal with the side effects.
Wasn’t life supposed to be more fun than this?
Why does cholesterol seem to be a present day problem?
Think back to some of the primary differences between the lifestyle of fifty years ago verses the lifestyle we live today.
Then
- Very few desk jobs.
- Most people had a garden.
- No video games.
- Rarely ate out.
- More self-sufficient.
Now
- Lots of desk jobs.
- Who has time for a garden?
- Electronic devices consume a majority of our time.
- Constantly eat on the run.
- Less self-sufficient.
Perhaps the reason our predecessors could consume food items that had excessive amounts of cholesterol is that their lifestyle was often geared toward significant calorie burn. They cooked their own food and generally used some of their own produce to do so. They led an organic and active lifestyle – just like many are now trying to do in the 21st century.
Removing both stress and cholesterol
It’s possible to make alterations in your food and lifestyle choice to reduce your cholesterol and reduce the worry you might feel when you consider what your latest numbers might be at your next checkup.
It’s all about the food
What we consume has a lot to do with the cholesterol levels we live with. If we eat food high in fat we can expect to see increased LDL levels. Eating at home with ingredients you control can be helpful in making the wisest food choices that can help you reach your cholesterol goals.
Bulk down
We are a nation that is increasing our girth every day. We rush from here to there and often take solace in comfort foods to deal with the stress we feel. Resist the comfort food by altering your train of thought. You can’t reach your goals by eating more. Can you?
Keep fit
Besides an alteration in food consumption the role of exercise is critical to aid in the removal of inner body waste. What that means is you can lose weight and your system will be cleansed by your efforts. This generally results in improved energy, less stress and best of all – lower cholesterol.
Lose the cigarette
The process is complicated, but let me just say that if you smoke it is probable you are making it harder for your body to reduce cholesterol levels. It has to do with the smoker’s need for additional antioxidants. Without the cigarettes you may find that your cholesterol levels will go down even faster.
Alternative medicine
You can expect certain plant extracts and supplements to aid in cholesterol reduction. Here’s just a partial list with a few comments.
Garlic. You might try to factor in real garlic into the meals you cook. You can also take garlic pills. If you do take pills find the kind that is odorless otherwise you may wind up smelling like you ARE an Italian restaurant.
Fish. The Omega 3 fatty acids are extremely beneficial in the reduction of cholesterol. If you don’t like the taste of fish (salmon may be the best for you) you might look at using fish oil capsules instead.
Nutrim. This is a beta-gluten derived from oats. It is said to be twice as effective as eating oatmeal, which is high in soluble fiber. While this is a supplement you can also gain benefits from actually choosing foods high in soluble fiber such as whole grains like oats and barley along with beans and fiber rich fruits and vegetables.
Artichoke leaf. This extract seems to work at preventing the body from making as much cholesterol. So while other remedies remove cholesterol this can work with those elements to stop a certain amount of cholesterol from being created.
This information is not intended to replace any clinical advice you may have received from your physician. It is intended only for informational purposes while encouraging a lifestyle that is active and healthy in a time that isn’t especially friendly toward harmony among those objectives.
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