How to Use Diet to Treat High Cholesterol

A low fat, high protein and high fiber diet can go a long way toward treating high cholesterol. When combined with an exercise program, a low fat/low cholesterol diet is the best thing you can do to protect yourself from heart disease.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Family doctor

Use Diet and Exercise to Treat High Cholesterol

1. Use a combination of diet and exercise to treat high cholesterol. When combined, these are the best two things you can do to reduce your risk of heart disease.
2. Cut out the fat in your diet. High cholesterol and fat are related. Your fat intake should be less than one third of your total caloric intake. If you consume 2,000 calories per day, for example, less than 600 of those calories should come from fat.
3. Watch out for saturated fat in particular. Only about 5 to 8 percent of your calories should come from saturated fat, whereas 30 percent of total calories can come from all fats.
4. Reduce your carbohydrate intake. People who reduce their intake of carbs tend to reduce their overall cholesterol as well. This is perhaps due to the fact that many foods that are high in carbohydrates are also high in fat, oils and sugar.
5. Avoid fat, oil and sugar. Sugar and sweeteners should be used very sparingly.
6. Consider going vegetarian. Vegetarian diets tend to be much lower in cholesterol. Even if you don't make a complete lifestyle change, going vegetarian for a while can help reduce your cholesterol in the short term.
7. Get plenty of exercise. Excess body weight and high cholesterol are related. Traditionally, if you lose weight, your cholesterol level will decrease as a result.
8. Read up on dietary guidelines and high cholesterol at eMedicine Health (see Resources below).
9. Use an exercise program that is high in cardiovascular work and that incorporates weight training to treat high cholesterol. This is the fastest, most effective way to lose body fat, which will in turn help you lower your cholesterol level. Running, biking and swimming are all great cardiovascular exercises.

Tips & Warnings

• Stop smoking today. Smoking and heart disease are highly correlated. One of the best things you can do for your heart is to quit smoking and have a healthy diet.
• Always consult your doctor before beginning any diet or exercise program.

Who Can Help: