Want to improve your cholesterol levels? Change your habits. These are some of the top lifestyle changes for better cholesterol.
High cholesterol levels are one of the risk factors of cardiovascular disease. If you need to bring them down, you can take certain medications to manage your levels.
However, if you don’t want to become dependent on medicine, you can make lifestyle changes instead. The following are some of the top lifestyle changes you can make if you want to improve your cholesterol.
1. Eat Healthily
By following a heart-healthy eating plan, like the TLC diet, you can reduce your numbers and improve your overall health. Make sure you start reducing saturated fats, eliminate all trans fats, and increase your intake of healthier foods.
For instance, foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids can help reduce your blood pressure and heart health. In addition, you should increase your soluble fiber intake and add whey protein to your routine (through food or supplements).
2. Exercise Regularly
By performing moderate-intensity exercises most days of the week, you can increase your “good” HDL cholesterol levels. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that most adults work out for at least 150 minutes per week.
If you need help getting started, consider taking a brisk daily walk during lunch, riding your bike, or playing your favorite sport. Whatever you do, the best way to maintain this habit is to find something that you enjoy doing.
3. Don’t Smoke
If you currently smoke, you can improve your HDL cholesterol levels by quitting. In fact, your blood pressure and heart rate recover within 20 minutes of you quitting from the cigarette-induced spike. Furthermore, your circulation and lung function start improving within 3 months and your heart disease risk becomes half that of a smoker within a year of quitting.
4. Maintain a Healthy Weight
Being overweight contributes to high cholesterol, but you can lose weight through diet and exercise. Look for simple ways to increase your fitness, like taking the stairs or parking further away from the store.
5. Limit Alcohol Consumption
You don’t have to give up alcohol altogether, but you should only drink in moderation. In other words, healthy adults should limit themselves to one (for women) or two (for men) drinks per day.
The Outlook
By following these healthy lifestyle habits, you can improve and maintain cholesterol levels in the healthy range. However, if your levels are too high, your doctor may prescribe medications alongside lifestyle changes.
In addition to medications and lifestyle changes, you can give your health an extra boost with L-arginine Plus. Its ingredients are effective at promoting cholesterol, blood pressure, circulation, and more.
Give your cholesterol health the support it needs by making these changes and taking L-arginine Plus.