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Learning ways to keep your cholesterol under check with the help of exercise and diet makes a noteworthy impact on health. Following are some of the best ways to lower cholesterol levels naturally. These include:
Get rid of the extra pounds
Exercise regularly
Include foods rich in omega 3 fatty acids
Consume adequate fiber
Take good multivitamins
Reduce stress levels
as much as these are all good ideas, some people just have high cholesterol. Some others can eat and drink til hell freezes over, sit on the couch and watch TV and still have low numbers. My mom in law, who died at 97 always had outrageously high numbers and she didn't die of heart trouble: my dad the same, but not as high.
Of course diet and exercise will go along way, I think it is more are we too concerned about the numbers? I remember when it was considered very acceptable to be in the total 220 range and borderline was about 240, not that is way over the top. The same with blood pressure, what used to be normal or borderline is now very high.
Sometimes high cholesterol is just not possible to control without statins. Mine was 300 and after 3 months of eating like a vegetarian it dropped to 299. Lipitor dropped it to under 200. Still I had high LDL, low HDL, and high triglycerides. Fish oil (Omega 3) reversed that. Now the totals vary between 190 and 210, and my internist is very pleased with HDL, LDL, and triglycerides. I have no idea what those numbers are and I don't give a rat's patootie. He's happy and I have a life to live.
Sometimes high cholesterol is just not possible to control without statins. Mine was 300 and after 3 months of eating like a vegetarian it dropped to 299. Lipitor dropped it to under 200. Still I had high LDL, low HDL, and high triglycerides. Fish oil (Omega 3) reversed that. Now the totals vary between 190 and 210, and my internist is very pleased with HDL, LDL, and triglycerides. I have no idea what those numbers are and I don't give a rat's patootie. He's happy and I have a life to live.
good point and good attitude. You are so right about what can bring it down...Too many people really want us to believe it is all up to us and our diet/exercise routine. Yes, these do help, but they are not the only answer and high cholesterol, though very unhealthy isn't a death sentence it itself. Hubby, who has been fighting the numbers for years, hasn't even seen a huge drop taking Lipitor. Well that is not true, it has dropped but the good cholesterol is still too high.
My doctor put me on Lipitor 2 months ago. She also told me I have the beginning of calcification in my aorta. Last week the pain from Lipitor was so bad in my muscles on the left side of my body, I had to stop the medication. After reading about statins, I don't want to take them. I am very sensitive to many medications and get lots of side effects.
I am also a cancer patient. Exercise is very difficult for me at this time. But I have begun taking fish oil, eat oatmeal every morning, eat almonds & cashews, apples, eat fish (omega) twice a week, and eat as healthy as I can.
I am borderline. Do I really need statins? Any other suggestions? I have to be careful of taking OTC supplements due to the cancer meds.
A friend suggested CoQ10 (enzymes) but I am not sure I can take that with my meds.
My doctor put me on Lipitor 2 months ago. She also told me I have the beginning of calcification in my aorta. Last week the pain from Lipitor was so bad in my muscles on the left side of my body, I had to stop the medication. After reading about statins, I don't want to take them. I am very sensitive to many medications and get lots of side effects.
I am also a cancer patient. Exercise is very difficult for me at this time. But I have begun taking fish oil, eat oatmeal every morning, eat almonds & cashews, apples, eat fish (omega) twice a week, and eat as healthy as I can.
I am borderline. Do I really need statins? Any other suggestions? I have to be careful of taking OTC supplements due to the cancer meds.
A friend suggested CoQ10 (enzymes) but I am not sure I can take that with my meds.
This is when you need to discuss the meds with your doctor. I know, some have strict guidelines they follow. Some do not go out of the box, like our primary care doctor (the reason we are switching) but regardless, I don't think any of us would want to advise you...I might add, ask her about reducing the dosage. Just out of curiosity, how did she determine you have the starting of calcification on your aorta?
This is when you need to discuss the meds with your doctor. I know, some have strict guidelines they follow. Some do not go out of the box, like our primary care doctor (the reason we are switching) but regardless, I don't think any of us would want to advise you...I might add, ask her about reducing the dosage. Just out of curiosity, how did she determine you have the starting of calcification on your aorta?
Regarding the calcification on my aorta... I had a chest x-ray. My technical diagnosis is Atherosclerosis of the aorta.
Total cholesterol-157
HDL-84
LDL+VLDL-73
triglycerides-62
My way of maintaining cholesterol numbers is to eat foods that are high in raw fats,fiber and protein.
Some of these foods are avocados,sardines,nuts,greek yogurt,eggs,whole grains,whole milk.
limit your refined sugar/fat intake. Eat the usual assortment of fruits and vegetables with the above foods and most importantly,drink a boatload of tea everyday.
My thoughts" Absolutely not. I wouldn't touch a cholesterol medication, even if I had very high cholesterol. At least, not until I had given a chance to dietary adjustment to see if that helped.
Identify three or four things that you eat in moderate (or excessive) am ounts that are cholesterol culprits, and cut your consumption of those in half. How hard can it be to cut your butter consumption in half? If your cholesterol is borderline high, I bet it will be within normal range next time.
If your doctor tells you he wants you on lipitor or something, tell him you would rather try a dietary adjustment for a few months, first, and see if that works. If he insists on giving you a Rx for something anyway, you are not forced to take it. Take some control yourself for your health maintenance.
Just read a couple of books on magnesium and found that studies have proven that taking magnesium supplements can lower high cholesterol better than statins--and without the negative side effects of statins.
I take magnesium because my BP med has a diuretic component that created a mag shortage which caused insomnia. Incidentally, with my regular mag supplementation, my cholesterol profile improved, too.
Magnesium raises the good HDL and lowers the bad LDL...in fact, a lack of adequate magnesium can contribute to the very reason we may have high cholesterol in the first place! Interesting, isn't it?
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