We all know having high cholesterol is bad. But it’s not always made clear what cholesterol is and how we lower it.
So, in this article, we’re going to start by telling you what the heck it actually is!
What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a waxy substance found naturally in the blood. It’s mainly made by the liver, but can also be found in foods like red meat, high fat cheese, butter and eggs. Your body does need some cholesterol as it makes hormones and vitamin D, but too much cholesterol can cause problems with your heart and other nasty things*.
Good and bad cholesterol
There are 2 main types of cholesterol: the ‘bad’ type, known as LDL (low density lipoprotein), and the ‘good’ type, known as HDL (high density lipoprotein).
As you’ve probably guessed, it’s too much of the ‘bad’ type that can lead to health problems. Fortunately, there are lots of simple ways to help lower cholesterol. Just take a look at our 4 tips below.
1. Cut down on saturated fats and replace them with unsaturated fats
Just think of saturated fats as ‘bad’ fats (found in dairy products, processed meats and some pre-packaged snacks like crisps). Unsaturated fats are the ‘good’ fats (found in nuts, fish and avocados to name a few).
By replacing some of the ‘bad’ fats for ‘good’ fats you’ll quickly make a huge difference to your cholesterol^.
Here are some ideas to help you do just that:
• Try swapping regular milk for almond milk in your morning coffee. Our Almond Breeze® Barista Blend is cholesterol free and contains 30% less calories than soya milk (based on a 200ml serving). Even better, there’s no added sugar!
• Snack on our low in sat fat Flavoured Snack Almonds. They come in 3 mouth watering flavours: Honey Roasted, Roasted with Sea Salt and Smokehouse.
• Start the day with Madeleine Shaw’s Kick-Start Smoothie – it’s low in sat fat, full of goodness and so quick to make.
• Lower your ‘bad’ cholesterol (LDL) by eating more oats†. This brilliant Bircher recipe is perfect as it can be made the night before and left in the fridge for the morning.
2. Exercise regularly
Regular exercise can help raise the ‘good’ cholesterol (HDL) in our bodies. About 30 mins of exercise a day is ideal but we get you can’t always do that, so here’s some more ways to squeeze some exercise in throughout the day:
• Take a walk during your lunch hour
• Try riding your bike to work
• Exercise whilst watching TV (a few sit-ups is a good one)
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator
• Go up and chat to colleagues rather than emailing them
3. Avoid smoking
Cigarette smoking lowers ‘good’ cholesterol (HDL) which could lead to a range of health problems, from heart disease to blood clots. Fortunately, studies have shown that ‘bad’ cholesterol (HDL) levels often go up soon after a person quits smokingⱶ.
4. Drink in moderation
Amazingly, ‘good’ cholesterol (HDL) levels can increase when alcohol is consumed in moderation (wahoo!), but drinking too much has the opposite effect. If you drink more than the recommended amount you can raise your cholesterol levels, which could lead to increased risk of heart disease and other health problems.¥
*https://heartuk.org.uk/health-and-high-cholesterol
^https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/indepth/cholesterol/art-20045192
†https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/in-depth/reducecholesterol/art-20045935
ⱶhttps://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/smoking-and-high-cholesterol
¥https://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/cholesterol-and-alcohol
Information from Goodness+ is not intended to be used for medical purposes or as a substitute for professional medical or health advice.