One of the main ways to impact your cholesterol levels is by changing your diet. Start by avoiding food that raises your VLDL and LDL cholesterol levels. The World’s Leading Sports Research Centre (www.sirc.ca) recommends against foods high in total fat and saturated fat that are also low in fiber. For example, do not consume, or at least not in large quantity, chocolate-cream-filled doughnuts/biscuits, cheese biscuits, cereal that contains high fructose corn syrup, chips, potatoes fried or cooked in oil, deep fried fish, fatty bottom feeders/scavengers like catfish and tilapia, sausages, fatty meats, bacon, hard cheese, whole milk, whole yogurt, butter, food cooked with lard or any rich frostings, candy or chocolate. At the same time, concentrate on eating the following: whole grain products, bran, oats, shredded wheat, flaxseed products, any unprocessed, un-canned fruit or vegetable, white fish, fresh fish, egg whites, skim milk, skinless white meat, fat-free/low-fat yogurt, unsalted almonds, pure cooking oils (not heated beyond 120ºF) or oatmeal. Also, replace beverages with unsweetened fruit juices or water as possible.
The list of foods to eat may leave you confused, especially about the ones that are neither recommended nor cautioned against. There are some general rules of thumb to consider when eating a diet less likely to impair cholesterol levels. First of all, avoid processed, sweetened, fried, high saturated fatty or oily foods. Secondly, eat any raw fruits or vegetables with more emphasis on the vegetables and low-calorie salads, because too many fruits can increase sugar-levels beyond your energy demands. Lastly, avoid salt where possible and concentrate on the purest forms of food. When in doubt, research on-line whether or not vanilla ice cream or whatever it is you are worried about is good for reducing your overall cholesterol.
Another way you can lower bad cholesterol levels is by engaging in more exercise. Research is often mixed on the importance of exercise as other variables—gender, age, smoking, alcohol consumption, body fat and medication—affect the results of most studies. Consistently, however, endurance exercises like long-distance running or swimming have been shown to decrease triglyceride count, potentially lowering VLDL cholesterol. This decrease in triglyceride levels causes a reduction in overall fat and an increase in skeletal muscular development according to research in the “Annals of New York Academy of Science.”
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