If you have been diagnosed with high cholesterol, then your life may start changing. Your doctor probably gave you advice regarding how to manage your high cholesterol, which is why we also want to help. We want to share with you some steps that you can take to get this condition under control and to safeguard your health and your future.
It is understandable that your doctor may have recommended that you take medication and check your cholesterol levels at regular intervals (which you can do by purchasing a cholesterol blood test kit from the likes of bloodtest.co.uk). However, we know that you might not like swallowing tons of medicines. Who likes it anyway? At least we have never heard of anyone who loves being on medication. That is why we are here to help you in your troubled times. We are going to show you a few things that you can do to bring that cholesterol down without the use of medication. If you manage your cholesterol well, then you may no longer need medication for this after a while.
Lose Weight
This may be the hardest of all the management methods we are going to cover, but it is also the most important. Many times, high cholesterolis caused by obesity. Your body has to work extra hard to support the additional weight it isn’t designed for. The extra stress your weight puts on your cardiovascular system is not healthy for you, and there are many ways you can work to get your weight under control.
This is the most effective way to manage cholesterol, and you can talk to your doctor for advice on how you can better control your weight and get back down to a healthy size.
Exercise Regularly
Next on the list is working out and living a healthy lifestyle. You don’t necessarily have to get a gym membership and spend hours a day working out to get your cholesterol under control, but you do need to try to live a more active lifestyle.
Try walking instead of driving or riding to get where you need to go, if it is just a short distance. Try taking the stairs instead of the elevator and look for other ways where you can be more active. It can help if you cut back on time spent in front of screens, as that often keeps you from spending time outdoors and being active.
Eat Healthier
This rounds out the big three of cholesterol control. If you manage to lose weight, exercise, and diet, there is no cholesterol problem you should not be able to tackle. If you are going to start a diet or make major changes to the way you eat, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor first. It can be damaging to your body to make massive changes to your diet overnight. Instead, it is better to introduce healthier eating habits gradually.
One of the first places to start is to eat out less. Try to make as much food yourself as you can. That way, you can control the ingredients and ensure that you are getting enough nutrition. Also try to cut back on dairy, carbohydrates, salt, sugar, and fats. These are some of the major contributors to obesity and high cholesterol in your diet, and you need to start controlling these foods in your diet if you want to get better.
Reduce Stress
It may not get talked about as much, but stress is a major cause of high cholesterol as well. As your emotional state becomes elevated, your cholesterol is going to increase. The more you stress out, the more damaging it is for you, and you need to look for ways to de-stress and relax.
You may need to take more time off work and spend time just enjoying yourself. Or you may need to work hard at not letting things in your life worry you or upset you. It can help to take some deep breaths a few times a day and try to center yourself and get your mind off of stressful things.
There are the very best ways to manage your cholesterol without medication, and the sooner you start doing them, the sooner you are going to get success in dealing with this health condition.
