1. You don’t get tested
Unhealthy cholesterol levels often don’t cause any symptoms, so it’s important to get them checked. If you do find a problem, diet, lifestyle changes, and medication can help. After age 20, your doctor will want to do a simple blood test every four to six years to make sure they’re within a healthy range. If your levels are unstable, your doctor will monitor you closely to see if you need treatment.
2. You’re sedentary
Regular exercise is one of the best ways to control your cholesterol. Just 40 minutes of walking, swimming, cycling, or dancing three or four times a week will have a positive effect. If you don’t have much time, you can break it up into 10-minute intervals throughout the day.
3. You Sit Too Long
Sitting too long has been linked to obesity, heart disease and high blood pressure. It lowers good cholesterol, which helps get rid of the bad stuff, and raises triglyceride levels. This is true even if you exercise regularly. If you work at a desk, try to get up and move around every 30 minutes or consider using a standing desk.
4. You smoke
It lowers your good cholesterol, which means you retain more of the bad stuff. And it’s been linked to high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease. Quitting can improve your cholesterol levels and help protect your arteries. If you don’t smoke, try to stay away from secondhand smoke.
5. You forget about body weight
Carrying too much weight, especially around your waist, can raise bad cholesterol and lower good cholesterol. But losing just 10% of your body weight can really improve your figure. Talk to your doctor about the best diet and exercise program to help you lose weight.
6. You eat a lot of saturated fat
This comes from beef, pork, lamb, and whole-milk dairy products like butter, cream, milk, cheese, and yogurt, as well as tropical oils like palm oil and coconut oil. All of these can raise bad cholesterol. It may help to cut back on visible fat from meat and combine it with skim milk and low-fat yogurt. If your bad cholesterol is high, you should get no more than 6% of your calories from saturated fat.
7. You eat a lot of trans fat
Trans fats are found in fried foods, cakes, pizza dough, doughnuts, muffins, cookies, crackers, and many packaged foods. They raise bad cholesterol and lower good cholesterol. Check food labels to limit trans fats. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, poultry, fish, and nuts.
8. You cut out all the fat
Not all of it is bad, replace saturated and trans fats with healthier polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. You’ll find these fats in salmon, trout, herring, avocados, olives, walnuts, and liquid vegetable oils like safflower, canola, sunflower, and olive oils. But make sure no more than 25-35% of your daily calories come from any type of fat.
9. You forget about fiber
There are two types: soluble, which dissolves in water, and insoluble, which doesn’t dissolve. Both are good for your heart health, but soluble fiber in particular helps lower your bad cholesterol levels. Add it to your diet with a bowl of oatmeal in the morning or with oat bran, fruit, beans, lentils, or vegetables.
10. You drink too much alcohol
Alcohol abuse can cause unhealthy cholesterol levels. In particular, it can increase the level of fat in your blood. Men should not drink more than two drinks a day, and women should not drink more than one. If you keep that up, you can also increase your good cholesterol.
11. Medications
Follow your doctor’s instructions for any prescription medications. If you miss a dose, don’t try to make up for it by taking more the next time. The medication may not work as expected or may make you dizzy or nauseous. Be sure to tell your doctor about any medications you take. Some medications can cause problems when taken at the same time as other medications.
