What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a type of fat that your body makes and can also be found in food. Most of the cholesterol in your body is made by your liver; the rest comes from the foods you eat.
Your body needs cholesterol to build and repair cells, and to make hormones. While cholesterol is necessary for good health, too much ‘bad’ cholesterol can cause fatty deposits called plaque to form in the walls of your arteries. This leads to narrowing and hardening of the arteries, damaging your arteries and increasing your risk of heart disease and stroke.
What are the signs and symptoms of high cholesterol?
Many people don’t know they have high cholesterol because there are no obvious symptoms.
If left untreated, high cholesterol can increase your risk of serious health conditions. It’s important to check if you have high cholesterol by getting regular checkups and blood tests.
Some people have a condition called familial hypercholesterolemia. This is a genetic problem that leads to high cholesterol. About 1 in 250 people have this condition, and many people don’t know they have it.
If you’ve been diagnosed with high cholesterol, you can adopt the following daily habits to control your cholesterol levels:
- First, make sure you exercise regularly. You don’t have to go to the gym for 2 hours; just move around whenever you can and stay fit. You can take up an active hobby like swimming, cycling, or playing in a basketball league, or you can meet friends for a walk around the park. Just get moving.
- Second, improve your diet and eliminate foods that are high in cholesterol. Start by cutting back on foods that are high in trans fats and saturated fats, like baked goods and processed foods. You can also cut back on animal proteins like meat, milk, and cheese. Second, increase your healthy HDL cholesterol with a few servings of fatty fish each week. You can also improve your diet by eating more green leafy vegetables and cruciferous vegetables, as well as healthy fats like avocados and coconut oil.
- Third, you should quit smoking because smoking can increase your risk of high blood pressure, which can worsen your risk of high cholesterol.
There are also everyday foods that help lower cholesterol, including:
- Oats
- Barley and whole grains
- Beans
- Eggplant and okra
- Nuts
- Vegetable oils (canola and sunflower)
- Fruits, especially apples, grapes, strawberries, and citrus
- Soybeans and soy products
- Fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna, and sardines
- High-fiber foods
You should incorporate these foods into a healthy diet.
