So the doctor says you need to lower your cholesterol. If it is creeping up, but not yet ready for cholesterol lowering medication there are some life style changes you can make to start decreasing the LDL reading and increase the HDL. Even if you are ready for the medication, it doesn't relieve you of the task of making life changes to better your heart health.
Regular physical activity can help. The kind and intensity is dependent upon your overall health and condition. Drastic change in activity should be discussed with your doctor. Many of us, even though we may not want to admit it, have settled into a quite sedentary life and have to consciously work to build our endurance. Just because you can't go run a marathon, doesn't mean you can't take a walk daily. Just because you can't walk a mile doesn't mean you can't walk down the block today and two next weekend! Soon you will be doing that mile. Then there are benefits of regular exercise beyond improved blood cholesterol levels--weight control, endurance, improved blood pressure, improved muscle tone, even improved sleep.
Another change to make is dietary, of course. You need to select foods that are lower in saturated fats, trans fats and cholesterol. Rather than simply cutting out some of your favorite foods and feeling deprived, you can learn how to make substitutions that will decrease your intake of saturated fats and cholesterol. For instance, you can replace hamburger with ground turkey, fried chicken with skin-off baked chicken, fatty meat with chicken, turkey or fish, whole milk with skim milk, sour cream with low fat yogurt, cheese with low fat cheese, cheese or sauce-covered vegetable with raw or lightly steamed vegetables, chips or high fat crackers with rice cakes or low fat pretzels, birthday cake with angle food cake. One egg yolk contains about 2/3 of your daily cholesterol intake. You may want to substitute two egg whites in recipes. Trim fat from meat. Read labels on processed meats. Avoid organic meats, such as liver.
You should keep your intake of saturated fats to 7-10% or less of your daily caloric intake. Most saturated fats come from foods from animals and some plants, like coconut oil and palm oil. A reduction in carbohydrates and alcohol helps some people also. (By the way, thin people can have high cholesterol and should stay aware of their LDL and HDL levels and follow good dietary habits.)
Read food labels; low cholesterol does not mean low saturated fat or trans fats. Check the serving size. Often what we may think of as one serving is actually two. And what does "Lower fat" mean? Lower than what? Lower than lard doesn't mean it is good! :) Look carefully at the ingredient label.
Look for un-hydrogenated oil, such as canola oil or olive oil. Check labels to be sure prepared foods use un-hydrogenated oil. Use soft margarine with no more than 2 grams of saturated fat per tablespoon and is trans-fat free. Avoid commercially deep fat fried food.
Then there is one more change to make, which for some may be the most difficult. That is, if you are a smoker, you should quit. There is some evidence that this will help raise HDL, the good cholesterol.
These life changes are not only for adults. The basis for cholesterol issues can start in childhood. Developing good eating and exercise habits in your children is a priceless lifetime gift.
Be sure to bring up the topic of cholesterol with your doctor; don't wait for her to bring it up. Ask for an explanation of the numbers that are reported at the screening. Discuss a plan for keeping it in a healthy range. You want to be able to prevent problems, not simply react to problems.
