Before we start with the question asked by many people on our Facebook page like How to reduce cholesterol fast? Are there any foods to lower cholesterol? And is there a way to reduce cholesterol without meditation? Therefore, today we will discuss some of the 5 best ways to reduce cholesterol fast, and we will also discuss foods to lower cholesterol.
Consuming certain types of foods that lower cholesterol can be really helpful to normalize your cholesterol levels naturally, causing no side-effects to your system.
Let’s Understand Cholesterol:
Our liver produces cholesterol which is a fatty, wax type of substance, foods you eat also has some amount of cholesterol in it. Cholesterol is present in each cell of the human body. When this cholesterol level increases, this can lead to some high-risk diseases like artery diseases.
How to know whether your cholesterol is normal?
If we talk about the medical examination, the doctors suggest you go for a blood test called lipoprotein. This blood test is done to check your cholesterol levels, whether it is normal, high or low. In medical term, you can say that this test helps to understand the LDL (low-density lipoprotein) and HDL, which is (high-density lipoprotein.)
It is also advised to not eat anything before this test for at least 9 to 12 hours. However, you can drink water but nothing in solid form.
One of the common reasons that a person develops high cholesterol is when the LDL type cholesterol levels increase in his/her body blockage and buildup in the arteries. And, on the other side, HDL is known as good cholesterol because this type of cholesterol in your system helps to clean up the blocked arteries and to remove cholesterol from your arteries.
After these two types of cholesterol, there comes Non-HDL. This is the percentage of cholesterol that comes after reducing the HDL from the total cholesterol. This Non-HDL cholesterol also includes other types of cholesterol like very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) and LDL.
Cholesterol Level as per Your Age:
People who are 19 years old or below 19:
| Type of Cholesterol | Healthy Level |
| Total Cholesterol | Less than 170mg/dL |
| Non-HDL | Less than 120mg/dL |
| LDL | Less than 100mg/dL |
| HDL | More than 45mg/dL |
Cholesterol Level as per You Age:
Male who are 20 years old or above 20:
| Type of Cholesterol | Healthy Level |
| Total Cholesterol | 125 to 200mg/dL |
| Non-HDL | Less than 130mg/dL |
| LDL | Less than 100mg/dL |
| HDL | 40mg/dL or higher |
Cholesterol Level as per You Age:
Females who are 20 years old or above 20:
| Type of Cholesterol | Healthy Level |
| Total Cholesterol | 125 to 200mg/dL |
| Non-HDL | Less than 130mg/dL |
| LDL | Less than 100mg/dL |
| HDL | 50mg/dL or higher |
The reason it is important to have foods that lower cholesterol fast and to normal your cholesterol level is because a high percentage of bad cholesterol leads to various heart attacks and heart-related problems.
Now there was a question how to reduce cholesterol without medication? It is possible to reduce cholesterol level through medication, but if you keep on eating a bad type of foods instead of eating foods that lower your cholesterol level, you will not get the benefits of mediation as well. If you are someone who is looking forward to maintaining a low-cholesterol diet plan instead of meditating, that can be helpful too.
You just need to understand that you need to make a few lifestyle changes and focus on foods that lower your cholesterol level, you don’t need to look back after that.
5 Ways to Reduce Cholesterol Level Naturally:
1. Excess fat reduction:
Reduce the excess fat from your body for sure. This is an amazing way to get rid of the high level of cholesterol from your body. If even if you are overweight a few kilos this can lead to a high level of cholesterol in your system.
Therefore, indulge in physical activities you can also shift your interest from gyming to cycling, running, dancing, swimming, playing volleyball, Zumba, and so much more. Many people don’t do physical activities because they think physical exercise is equal to boredom.
But this actually helps to reduce the stress level maintain a healthy mind and body, which always leads to less stress. So, the next time you are thinking of how to reduce cholesterol fast, you know what to do.
Alcohol intake:
This is something might sound difficult to do for a lot of people, but if you want to reduce high cholesterol levels from your body, you need to understand that drinking alcohol will not work.
Even if you drink alcohol, you need to do that in moderation, but it is better that people with high cholesterol do not consume alcohol because none other than less this harms your system. Consuming alcohol leads to various risks like heart failure, high blood pressure and even strokes.
Nourishment is a must:
What you are consuming can define everything from your mind to your body, everything. A person can cure all sorts of diseases from chronic to low-risk diseases just by keeping an eye on what they are consuming daily.
No doubt, low-cholesterol diet plan or say foods that help to lower cholesterol level are really effective for people with such issues. If you are suffering from high cholesterol level, reduce the intake of saturated fats like dairy products and red meat.
This will help to reduce the bad cholesterol level in your body like LDL. Even you should reduce the consumption of trans fats, this type of fats are mainly found in cookies, cakes, and crackers that are made with partially hydrogenated vegetable oil.
It is sad, that even after the ban on the usage of partially hydrogenated vegetable oil by Food and Drug Administration, there are foods products in the market with such harmful ingredients. Therefore, it is better to keep a check on the ingredients list before buying anything.
Omega-3 is good:
If you are a non-vegetarian, you might already know this that omega-3 fatty acids found in fishes are good to maintain good cholesterol level. Omega-3 fatty acids do not raise the level of LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and help to reduce blood pressure and improve heart-health.
If you are a vegetarian, then also you can consume omega-3 fatty acids with other sources like flaxseeds and walnuts. However, salmon, herring and mackerel are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Also, you can consume foods that contain soluble fibre like figs, kidney beans, pears, sweet potatoes, and black beans, etc.
Say bye to smoking
People who smoke a lot are more prone to developing a high level of cholesterol. As per some studies, people who quit smoking their heart rate and blood pressure comes to its normal rate within 20 minutes.
Also, if a person stops smoking, this will help him/her to improve the level of good cholesterol like HDL. If you do not smoke for 3 months straight, this helps to improve the functioning lungs and proper blood circulation. Quitting smoking also decreases the risk of heart-related diseases.
We hope you find this information useful, in case you or anyone from family or relative is suffering from high cholesterol level, you can share this information further with that person.