High Cholesterol levels are injurious to health. They increase the potential risk of cardiac diseases such as heart failure and attacks. It is better to control the cholesterol levels. No doubt, medication works wonderfully to improve the cholesterol. But it is wise to make specific lifestyle changes to keep the cholesterol under control.

The lifestyle changes keep you at bay from the cholesterol-lowering medications. Even if you take those drugs, these changes increase the effect of the prescribed medicines.

Here are some of the ways to lower cholesterol levels in the body:

Eat heart-friendly food: Foods that contain saturated fats increase the cholesterol amounts. Avoid dairy products and red meat as they result in the bad cholesterol. Try to reduce 7% of the total calories you take per day. Choose low-fat milk products and leaner meat cuts for a healthy diet. Bring small changes to your diet and make it a heart-healthy diet.

Fried foods contain trans-fats. These trans-fats are injurious to health as they boost the bad cholesterol and decrease the good cholesterol levels. Such condition results in possible chances of heart diseases. Food products with less than 0.5 grams are known as trans-fat-free. Stay away from foods that contain trans-fats and hydrogenated oil.

Omega-3 Fatty acids are good for health. They boost the lipoprotein and lessen the blood pressure and are beneficial for the healthy heart. Eat food products rich in omega-3 fatty acid. Include almonds, walnut, salmon, herring, and flaxseeds in your diet.

Increase the intake of soluble fiber. Add oats, brand, fruits, vegetable, and lentils to your diet for heart-health benefits. Whey protein is another essential ingredient which is a must-add for a healthy diet.

Regular exercising: Adopt the habit of daily exercising. Increase the hours of physical activities and workout. Proper levels of physical exercising increase the high-density lipoprotein (HDL).

Some of the exercises you can try include sit-ups, brisk walk, swimming, and cycling. You can even try sports such as badminton and others. Instead of going to the elevator try taking the stair. A maximum workout of 30 minutes in a day proves beneficial.

Say no to Smoking: If you are addicted to smoking, it is the right hour to quit smoking. Quitting increases the HDL levels. Heart rate and blood pressure reduce quickly after you quit smoking.

Weight loss: Obese people have high cholesterol levels. You must try to reduce those extra pounds of weight. Cut down the calories you take followed by exercising to bring weight under control. Avoid fast foods and include healthy food products in your diet chart. Potato chips and high fats products are big no.

Laughter: Laughter is the best medicine. Laughing relieves stress and anxiety and lessens the build-up of cholesterol levels in the body.

Cut down the alcohol: Drink alcohol in moderation for adequate levels of HDL cholesterol. One drink for women for all age groups is the ideal intake. Two drinks for males is a healthy intake.

Consuming excess alcohol can aggravate the health risks such as heart attacks and high blood pressure.

Some essential food items that work well for lower cholesterol:

Take Fish: Include salmon, bluefin, sardine, mackerel and swordfish in your diet. All these fish are rich in omega-3 fatty acid. They reduce the cholesterol level and are a good substitute for the red meat which contains high saturated fats.

Magnesium intake: Take foods rich in magnesium in your daily diet. Some of the foods you can try are a wheat germ, peanuts, dark chocolate, nuts, walnuts, kelp, almonds, and cashews.

Vitamin C: The conventional sources of vitamin C include citrus fruits (lemon, orange and limes), pineapple, sweet potatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, strawberries, and papaya. Take the supplements of vitamin C to get more benefits to reduce cholesterol.

Garlic: Garlic has proven results to reduce the cholesterol levels. The antifungal and anti-bacterial properties of garlic reduce the high blood pressure. Taking fresh garlic proves better than cooked garlic. Chew 2-4 garlic cloves in a day.

Vitamin K2: Vitamin K2 works efficiently to lower the cholesterol. It is found in reasonable amounts in food products such as soya bean, egg yolk, cheese, chicken liver, butter and goose liver pate.

Olive Oil: Olive oil gives proven results to reduce the cholesterol levels. The olive oil is highly beneficial for the human heart. The good fats present in the olive oil protect the heart and cut down the cholesterol levels.

Blueberries: The anti-oxidant nature of blueberries reduces swelling. Blueberries enhance the cardiovascular functioning of the heart.

If you follow the ways mentioned above to lower cholesterol, you will see potential health benefits. These methods won’t give immediate results. Follow them regularly to see a reduction in the cholesterol levels. You can even visit the doctor and take the prescriptions to lower the cholesterol. The lifestyle changes work efficiently to lessen the medication dosage.