Many food advertisements, especially those advertising cooking oil, are usually keen on making sure their product has no cholesterol. But, is the presence of cholesterol in our bodies all that bad, as experts seem to make us want to believe? Studies have shown that a healthy amount of cholesterol has immense benefits to our system. Although your body can produce its own cholesterol, you can also supplement it with the food that you eat.
Cholesterol is said to be a waxy, fat-like substance that is found in all your body cells. This fat-like substance is essential for most bodily functions and works best if you combine it with other essential minerals, such as sulfur and vitamin D, as they are interrelated. When you combine them, these minerals work together to prevent cardiovascular disease. Another important thing to note is that your body needs cholesterol to make hormones, as well as some digestive juices.
Cholesterol travels through your bloodstream. The presence of bad cholesterol in the form of low-density lipoproteins is dangerous for your health. In fact, they will make your arteries harden, making blood circulation to vital body organs difficult. It is important for you to ensure you have increased levels of good cholesterol or high-density lipoproteins. They are necessary for ensuring excess cholesterol travels to the liver where it is eliminated.
Having high blood cholesterol can be fatal, because it will increase your chances of getting coronary heart disease.
Home Remedies for Treating High Cholesterol
You should opt for a medical opinion to help you lower cholesterol levels in your body. Talk to your doctor and try some easy options guaranteed not to bite hard into your budget. These are healthy, natural tips that are efficient. They could even ones guide you into regaining that healthy body you once had. These remedies include the following:
1. Say Yes to Exercise
The importance of exercise cannot be emphasized enough. It is the number one solution to help you shape up. It makes it easier to tackle everyday tasks efficiently and with ease. Exercise can involve hitting the treadmill or simply exerting yourself in a variety of physical tasks that involve movement, which will enable you to enjoy good health.
The best part about activity is that is it free. This does not mean that moving more will immediately and magically work on your cholesterol and body weight. Just like everything in life, it will take time and continued hard work for it to be effective.
According to health experts, exercise is one of the best natural remedies for you. It is good for promoting proper blood circulation and burning excess calories and cholesterol, as well as helping to strengthen your bones and muscles. Exercise can lower bad cholesterol or triglycerides, while at the same time raising the good cholesterol or high-density lipoproteins (HDL).
Although effective, this does not mean that exercise alone can help you lower your high cholesterol. This is because you must combine it with dietary changes, as well as watching your weight.
Finding out you have high cholesterol levels should be your wake-up call to get out of your comfort zone and start working hard towards achieving your ideal weight. Being overweight translates to developing high cholesterol in your system. You can simply start gradually with a walk around the neighborhood, riding a bicycle, or swimming.
Once it is comfortable to walk, bike or swim, you can graduate to walking faster and even running until your body gets used to the hard physical work. Just ensure that you pick a task you enjoy the most. Picking a boring exercise routine will surely wear you out. You will eventually find yourself abandoning it as soon as you just started it.
Being outdoors will also work to your advantage, because the exposure will help your body absorb enough vitamin D from the sun. Just be careful not to expose yourself to the midday sun, which has dangerous cancer-causing UV rays. Limit your time in the sun to early mornings or late afternoons, just to be safe. If you must go out in the middle of the day, apply sunscreen liberally.