What Lowers Cholesterol Quickly? Five Strategies
When you're talking about "lowering cholesterol quickly," you first need to define what the word "quickly" means to you. When you take medications prescribed by your doctor, you can generally lower your cholesterol levels within two to four weeks.
But if you don't like the idea of taking medications to bring down cholesterol, it will take longer. "How much longer?" you ask. That depends on you, and on diet and lifestyle changes you're willing to make -- and stick to.
Doctors, registered dietitians, nutrition experts, and exercise physiologists all agree on the following five strategies.
Eat a lot of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans. You don't have to become a dedicated vegetarian, but study after study has shown that eating naturally-fiber-rich plant foods lowers cholesterol in the shortest possible time without using medications.
Become "fat smart." Trans fats and saturated fats found in fried foods, fast food, desserts and baked goods raise your cholesterol levels. Certain kinds of dairy products are also bad, as are foods that contain hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils.
Get protein from plant sources, not just meat. Many people don't realize there's protein in some plant foods, not just in beef, chicken, etc. Many dark-colored, leafy greens and vegetables contain protein, along with beans and rice, quinoa, tofu, chickpeas, lentils, peanuts, and almonds.
Avoid refined grains like white flour. White flour found in baked goods and desserts has been stripped of most of its nutrition during processing. To lower cholesterol, eat more whole grains like oats and barley, whole-wheat couscous, polenta, quinoa, and wild rice.
Get regular exercise
The latest research seems to indicate thirty minutes of cardio exercise (walking, jogging, biking, and so on)five times a week. Recently, studies have shown that resistance exercise, like lifting weights, can also help if you do it several times a week.
These lifestyle and diet strategies will go a long way toward lowering your cholesterol levels as soon as possible, without depending on medications.
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