5 Simple Steps to Lower Your Cholesterol Level

We often use prescription drugs in the hope that it will magically cure whatever ails us. There will always be short-term and long-term side effects of taking prescription drugs. So instead, make a shift to naturopathic medicine and take charge of your health & lifestyle. Treat your ailments with techniques, diet and massage as these will not have any side effects and will help heal the ailments better.

Increased cholesterol has become a very common health problem due to the lack of physical training and healthy eating habits. Over time, high cholesterol can lead to numerous conditions of the heart and arteries, not the least of which are atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), stroke or heart attack.

But you can lower your cholesterol level without drugs. Follow these naturopathic solutions that will not only change your cholesterol readings but will also improve your overall health:

Eat Right

It may sound simple but diet has such a significant impact on lowering cholesterol that it should be the number one factor you look at in determining if your high cholesterol is hereditary or a matter of dietary choices. A low fat and low cholesterol diet is the first step towards lowering cholesterol. Replace oily, heavy meals with healthy and nutritious meals and make a lifestyle choice that will go a long way.

Exercise

Improving cardiovascular health is a step towards reversing the effects of high cholesterol. Exercise itself doesn’t directly lower cholesterol but will strengthen the heart and the entire circulatory system.

Quit Smoking

If you smoke, the plaque built up in the arteries due to high cholesterol is accelerated. When plaque blocks the flow of blood to the heart, the muscle has to work harder to get the oxygen moving. This can lead to a heart attack. If the arteries get completely blocked with the plaque from high cholesterol, then a stroke can occur.

Relax

Chronic stress can affect cholesterol levels. If you are constantly stressed and eating a low cholesterol diet, you may not see any improvement in cholesterol readings until you learn to relieve stress.

Talk to your doctor

Not all doctors are quick to prescribe medications. In fact, doctors would be more enlightened to help you form a diet and exercise plan that is suitable for your current overall health and abilities as a first step towards lowering cholesterol. It is always important to ask your doctor if your decision to follow a specific diet or exercise plan is right for you. In addition, do not start taking medications before consulting with your doctor. You can lower your cholesterol with diet and exercise, and under the guidance of your doctor, see about removing drugs from the process.

It does not take long to see significant improvements in your cholesterol. You can achieve lower cholesterol level in just a matter of weeks. Contact Dr. Cecilia Ho for her expert guidance on naturopathic medicine if you are working on bringing your cholesterol down.