12 Natural Ways to Manage Your Cholesterol

If your doctor is telling you that your cholesterol is too high, you’re probably wondering about your options. Drugs like statins can lower your cholesterol, but many patients worry about the side effects. You may want to explore lifestyle changes that can provide natural relief.

High cholesterol is a serious matter that increases your risk for a heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure. However, your body needs some cholesterol to make cell membranes, vitamin D, and a wide variety of hormones.

For optimal health, you want to limit how much low-density lipoprotein (LDL) your liver makes, because that’s the cholesterol that causes clogged arteries.

At the same time, you want to maintain adequate amounts of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) that transports cholesterol back to your liver.

Simple changes can make a big difference in helping you to balance your cholesterol. Try making these ideas part of your daily routine.

Adjusting Your Diet

Your liver adjusts how much cholesterol it makes in response to how much you get from food sources.

You can help the process along with these strategies:

1. Increase your fiber.

Soluble fiber can reduce the amount of cholesterol in your bloodstream and help you live longer. Smart choices include beans, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.

2. Choose healthy fats.

Replace solid fats like butter with liquids as much as possible. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats like olive oil, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish are especially helpful.

3. Avoid trans fats.

These hydrogenated fats increase total cholesterol and LDL while decreasing HDL. Manufacturer’s use them to increase shelf life, so check the labels on cookies, margarine, and other products.

4. Lose weight.

Slimming down can lower your cholesterol too. Find a diet you can stick with for the long run. Let your family and friends know about your goals and how they can support you.

5. Drink in moderation.

At least one study suggests that having one or two drinks can lower cholesterol for some adults. Keep in mind that heavy drinking has the opposite effect, potentially harming your liver and other organs.

6. Limit red meat.

Beef is the top source of saturated fat for many Americans. Consider a plant-based diet or meat-free days with vegetarian or fish dishes. Using low or no fat dairy products helps too.

7. Switch your snacks.

A healthy diet can include some treats. Munch on fruit, nuts, and air popped popcorn.

8. Cook light.

The way you prepare your food matters too. Cut back on cooking oil. Bake and boil instead of frying.

Other Lifestyle Choices

Studies have shown that aerobic exercise and other smart choices can enhance the lipid-lowering effects of a heart-friendly diet.

As a bonus, many of these habits will enhance your overall wellbeing, as well as lower your cholesterol.

Try these lifestyle enhancements:

1. Exercise regularly.

There are several theories about why exercise lowers cholesterol, including promoting weight loss and stimulating enzymes that remove cholesterol from your bloodstream. Aerobic activities and resistance training are both beneficial.

2. Move.

You’ll see more results if you stay active in between workouts. Do manual chores like vacuuming and raking leaves. Take the stairs instead of riding the elevator.

3. Quit smoking.

The tar in tobacco damages blood vessels and increases your risk for high cholesterol. Combining nicotine replacement devices and social support may help you to quit. Keep in mind that many adults make multiple attempts before they succeed.

4. Consider supplements.

There’s a big market for cholesterol-reducing supplements like fish oil and niacin. Your doctor can advise you about possible drug interactions and other safety concerns.

Talk with your doctor about developing an action plan based on your individual needs.

Natural methods may help you to manage your cholesterol without taking drugs or may enable you to reduce your dosage.

Could You Really Need More Fat in Your Diet?

Have you been avoiding fat? You might be surprised to learn how important it is for a healthy diet.

It’s not your fault if you’re confused. In the late 1980s, many authorities campaigned against dietary fat, linking it to heart conditions and obesity. Unfortunately, they failed to distinguish between saturated fats and healthier varieties.

Meanwhile, food manufacturers churned out cookies and other products with little or no fat in response to consumer demand.

They downplayed the fact that these substitutes usually had more carbohydrates and sugar, so they were just as high in calories.

As a result, many Americans grew heavier because they thought they thought it was okay to eat larger quantities.

The good news is that many high-fat foods are delicious and nutritious. Find out if you need to eat more fat and how to make it healthy.

Benefits of Eating Enough Fat

Current guidelines recommend getting 20 to 35% of your total daily calories from fat. Your individual needs will depend on your overall health and your activity levels.

These are some of the positive effects you’ll experience:

1. Feel full.

If you’re hungry much of the time, you probably need more fat. Start with a hearty breakfast, like Greek yogurt rather than bacon. Foods rich in fiber help too. You’ll feel more comfortable and have more energy.

2. Strengthen your heart.

Monounsaturated fats increase levels of beneficial HDL-cholesterol and decrease levels of triglycerides. That lowers your risk for heart disease and stroke.

3. Protect your brain.

Your mental functions and brain structure depend on fats too. They help fight brain fog, memory loss, and depression.

4. Lubricate your joints.

Chronic inflammation is another concern. Your diet and overall lifestyle can help take some stress off your knees and hips.

5. Boost your immunity.

Too little fat can suppress your immune system and make you more susceptible to infections. Research has found that runners who changed to a higher-fat regimen doubled their levels of certain immune cells.

6. Get your vitamins.

You may also be at risk for nutritional deficiencies. While many vitamins are water-soluble, your body can only absorb A, D, E, and K when they’re dissolved in fat.

Strategies for Eating Healthy Fats

Focus on quality more than quantity. Of your total fat calories, aim for less than 10% saturated fats and make the rest polyunsaturated or monounsaturated.

Try these techniques:

1. Limit beef.

Excessive consumption of red meat raises your risk for diabetes, heart conditions, and certain cancers. If you eat beef, limit it to one or two servings a week. Eat little if any processed meat, including sausage, hot dogs, and cold cuts.

2. Use plant oils.

Take advantage of the wide variety of plant oils that are rich in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, as well as antioxidants. Smart choices include olive, avocado, sesame, safflower, and sunflower oils.

3. Eat nuts and seeds.

They’re high in calories, but studies show that eating moderate amounts of nuts and seeds regularly may even help you lose weight. Serve them as snacks and make your own nut butters, trail mixes, smoothies, and porridges.

4. Try fatty fish.

The American Heart Association recommends two servings of oily fish a week. To make it easy, think of the acronym SMASH, which stands for salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, and herring.

5. Increase your omega-3s.

These polyunsaturated fatty acids can do anything from lowering your blood pressure to reducing ADHD symptoms in children.

If you’re not a fan of fish, you can find them in seaweed, chia seeds, and flax.

Enjoy olive oil, nuts, and other healthy fats without feeling guilty. They’re essential for your wellbeing, and they taste delicious.


Learn more about your health online when you read the rest of our information here about: Cholesterol guide and also download the free health report available there!

Warren Tattersall has been a full time nutritional consultant for over 35 years and works with people all over the world to help them improve their health, increase their personal energy levels and to use supplements to assist with diet related health issues.

Just send him a note on the form here - Contact Us - to request a personal no obligation one-on-one consultation with Warren

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