How to lower your cholesterol naturally

You have probably heard about how important cholesterol levels are as well as ‘good’ and ‘bad’ cholesterol, and you may be wondering how to lower your cholesterol naturally. It is recommended to implement changes immediately after discovering high levels of cholesterol as to avoid any complications down the road. Luckily, there are ways that you can be both proactive and take action upon learning of high cholesterol levels.

Let’s go on to find out how you could actually reduce cholesterol naturally.

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance found in your body. It is required to build cell membranes and produce hormones, vitamin D and bile acids. Cholesterol is naturally produced in your liver, which then sends it to arteries and other areas of your body to repair tissues, etc. Cholesterol has a bad reputation for being bad, but it isn’t! It is a natural part of your body and it is all about keeping your levels balanced. An imbalanced level of LDL and HDL cholesterol can cause health problems, such as heart attacks, heart disease hormonal issues, and strokes.

Inflammation and cholesterol

You can lower cholesterol naturally by focusing on reducing inflammation in your body. Luckily, there are easy dietary and lifestyle changes that you can make to reduce inflammation in your body and lower your cholesterol.

Now let’s go on to learn some ways you can reduce cholesterol naturally.

How to lower cholesterol naturally

Nourish your body with anti-inflammatory foods

Whole foods nourish your body and flood your system with the nutrients that it need. Most people report feeling better and with more energy even after only a couple of days of eating anti-inflammatory foods and whole foods in general.

Include as many of the colorful anti-inflammatory foods in your diet as possible: Leafy grains, berries, turmeric, fresh fruits and vegetables, cinnamon, green tea, garlic, olive oil, wild-caught salmon, cilantro, etc. These foods will also boost your heart health, something that high levels of cholesterol can put stress on.

Avoid inflammatory foods

Inflammatory foods put stress on your body and distract it from doing its natural processes.

Inflammatory foods include: processed foods, caffeine, refined and added sugar, alcohol, etc.

Read also: What food are high in cholesterol?

Eat more soluble fiber

Soluble fiber supports your digestion and lowers levels of LDL cholesterol. You can reduce your cholesterol naturally by consuming more foods that are rich in soluble fiber, such as: vegetables, fruits, beans, legume, and whole grains. A tasty option is to include a green smoothie into your diet.

Quit smoking

Smoking can raise your cholesterol levels and cause an imbalance of HDL and LDL. When you stop smoking, your HDL cholesterol has the chance to improve. A short-term benefit is a calmer body, plus you’ll be able to reduce cholesterol naturally, and a long-term benefit is a lower risk of heart disease altogether.

Get movement in

We all know that movement is important to include everyday, but did you know that it is also one of the ways how to lower cholesterol fast and naturally? Whether it is a paced walk, interval exercises, riding a bike, or playing a sport, physical activity can help you lose weight, raise your ‘good’ cholesterol (HDL) and lower your ‘bad’ cholesterol (LDL) naturally.

You will also get the other countless and wonderful benefits of exercise, such as more happiness, greater confidence, better sleep, more energy, and improved health overall.

Lose weight

This may seem like an obvious one, but high cholesterol has been linked to holding extra weight. So really prioritize your health and look for ways to adopt as many healthy habits as possible into your lifestyle. The more that you do so, the more you can lower your cholesterol naturally and avoid dangerous health levels.

It is important to implement as many of these healthy lifestyle changes for any healthy person, but especially if imbalanced cholesterol levels are flagged in your health. If you reduce your cholesterol naturally, you have a better chance of being able to support your body on its own, without the need of medication for your cholesterol down the line.

The best way to think of these ways to lower your cholesterol is by thinking of them as lifestyle changes. This gives you a better chance of adopting them as real long-term changes, rather than a temporary fix for cholesterol, which could end up being not just a temporary problem.

The major benefit of all of these methods is that they are completely natural. Eating healthy, listening to your body, quitting smoking, losing weight, and exercising are all things that will only benefit your body, and they don’t require drastic and potentially harmful actions.

If you have tried incorporating some of these dietary and lifestyle changes and your cholesterol levels are still high, genetics or other medical conditions could be a factor.

If so, speak with your doctor about how you can take action to bring your cholesterol levels back to balance.

Cover image: Photo by [Pablo Merchán Montes](https://unsplash.com/@pablomerchanm?utmsource=unsplash&utmmedium=referral&utmcontent=creditCopyText) on Unsplash_