We are raising an obese society. With big-sizing everything that we eat especially in fast food chains, we are slowly clogging our arteries with unnecessary fats and cholesterol that our bodies do not actually need and cannot use.
The result is of course a society that is pestered with different kinds of cholesterol complications such as heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and overweight problems. In fact, one of the problems that the country is facing is the rising prevalence of people with hypertension, which can lead to a possible heart attack when not taken cared of.
So what can you do lower your cholesterol levels? The first line, perhaps the only one that is truly effective is a combination of regular exercise and proper diet. These two activities go hand in hand. Without one factor, you cannot succeed. Dieting without exercising the body will only lead to weak muscles, which will eventually weaken the body’s resistance.
It may also lead to fatigue and sore muscles because there is not enough nutrients in the body. Exercising, on the other hand, without the proper diet is useless because you will only be maintaining your usual weight.You will not be gaining of course, because you are burning whatever you need; but you will not be losing any pound either.
Besides, exercising too much will strain the muscles and might even lead to a possible heart attack because of too much strain to the heart.
So what do you have to eat in order to lower those cholesterol levels in the body and ultimately prevent the occurrence of hypertension?
Eat less oil
One of the first things that a person dieting should avoid is to eat foods that are deep-fried or those that are cooked using oil. These include potato chips, fries, fried meat, fried seafood, fried veggies and a whole lot more.
Oil, when taken into the body translates to cholesterol. What you should be eating are foods that are boiled, steamed, baked and braised. Grilled foods may also be eaten but not so much.
Eat less meat
The fats from meat contain a lot of cholesterol. If you can avoid eating meat all the frequently, better; but if you can’t stop munching those meat, just remove the fats that hang on the side. Chicken and Turkey meat is a lot healthier so if you can have a choice, opt for these kinds of meat products. Don’t forget to remove the skin though as cholesterol concentrate in white meats can be found on the skin.
Eat vegetables
Vegetables do not only contain zero cholesterol, it is also a great source of fibers that help the body in digesting the food that we take in.
As much as possible, steam the vegetables that you eat to maintain the nutrients in it and of course avoid fatty and cholesterol additives like oils.
Eat less period
Try to curb that appetite slowly by taking in less food that you normally take in. If you can lessen the number of times that you eat or of you do want snacks, eat healthy snacks like fruits.
Try to also lessen the carbohydrates that you take in, which can be found in rice, cereals and bread. If you must eat these staple opt for the healthier kind like brown rice and wheat bread.