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Lisa Nelson, RD, LN
Here’s a checklist of the top 8 things you must do if you want to successfully lower your cholesterol and keep it low.
Know your numbers
Have you had a lipid profile? Do you understand the numbers? If you are going to successfully lower cholesterol you need to know your numbers and what they mean. The most effective way to raise HDL is not necessarily the best way to lower LDL.
Evaluate your lifestyle
There are risk factors for high cholesterol that you can not control, such as age, gender, and family history, but there are factors you can control. For example, you can reduce risk by not smoking, increasing your activity, and losing extra weight.
Balance your fats
Reduce unhealthy saturated fats in your diet and replace them with heart healthy unsaturated fats. Total fat intake should be 30% or less of your total daily calories. Out of this 30%, saturated fat should be limited to 7%.
Be active
Physical activity lowers triglycerides and raises HDL (good) cholesterol. Shoot for 30 minutes 5 or more days a week. If you are not currently active, check with your MD before beginning an activity program.
Eliminate trans fats
You need to be food label savvy and watch out for trans fats. Trans fats raise LDL (bad) cholesterol, lower HDL (good) cholesterol, and raise triglycerides. Limit trans fats to 1% or less of your daily caloric intake.
Understand triglycerides
Triglycerides are impacted the most by your simple sugar and alcohol intake. If you are struggling with high triglycerides, you need to use a different strategy to get your cholesterol under control.
Increase dietary fiber
A high fiber diet is necessary for heart health. You need 25-35 grams of dietary fiber daily, especially soluble fiber. For every 1-2 grams of daily soluble fiber intake, LDL (bad) cholesterol is lowered 1%.
Add omega 3 fatty acids
For heart health and lower cholesterol, you want to improve the ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids are involved in the regulation of heart rate, blood pressure, and blood clotting.
Receive a step by step plan to promote heart health with a Mini Diet Makeover. As a special New Year’s bonus you’ll recieve a complimentary copy of the Calorie Counter for Dummies. Learn more here – https://www.lisanelsonrd.com/minidietmakeover.html
All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
How to Lower Cholesterol in 8 Simple Steps
A reader wrote in about treating high cholesterol with Vytorin. The medication Vytorin is a combination of the statin drug Zocor and the cholesterol lowering drug Zetia. The two drugs differ in that statins function mainly in the liver to reduce production of cholesterol, while Zetia works in the digestive tract to block the absorption of cholesterol from food.
Vytorin was in the news at the time due to a possible link to increased cancer risk, based on data that were themselves debated among experts. The reader asked for my thoughts.
First, discuss the best treatment option for you with your doctor, since they can weigh the latest safety data against your personal health history. There was also debate at the time about how effective Zetia is at preventing heart disease, not just lowering cholesterol numbers.
Eight steps to lower your cholesterol
Of course, I do not know your personal situation and if you have tried a statin with poor results in the past.
Anytime you have to take a medication, there is the risk of side effects. Many times it’s simply a matter of weighing the pros and cons and deciding how much risk you’re willing to take.
Of course, I promote making lifestyle and diet changes to support heart health, in partnership with whatever treatment plan you and your doctor decide on together.
All the best,
Lisa Nelson, RD
If you’re making mashed potatoes or many other potato dishes, what do you do? Cube the potatoes and throw them in a pot of water to boil? If you want to hang on to the potassium potatoes offer, it’s best to boil the potato whole – skin and all. When potatoes are cubed or shredded then boiled, studies show a 75% loss of potassium.
Also, good news if you like to soak your potatoes in water overnight. Soaking potatoes does not result in a significant loss of nutrients to the water they’re soaked in.
Tired of changes that don't last?
All the best,
Lisa Nelson, RD
Sometimes people wonder about the health benefits of the black walnut versus the more common English walnut, so I’m going to provide you some quick info.
Continue readingWearing a pedometer is a simple way to track your activity.
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