7 Ways To Lower Your Cholesterol In 90 Days Without Drugs
If you want to support your heart health by lowering your cholesterol levels, you are not alone. Like many people, you may have been told by your doctor that your numbers are too high and in order to protect your heart you need to improve your scores. However, you may be feeling apprehensive about taking the prescription cholesterol lowering medication due to concerns around side effects. The good news is that lifestyle, diet, and natural therapies have been proven to not only lower cholesterol, but also reduce risk of heart disease. With the right tools and strategies, you can lower your cholesterol without drugs and ensure your heart is healthy for decades to come.
Following these simple seven steps will help you lower your cholesterol in just 90 days, without drugs!
Alex is a patient at my clinic and has dealt with high cholesterol for over 10 years. As he approached his late 40’s his doctor finally told him he had to do something about his levels and recommended he start medication just like his father had many years ago. However, Alex wanted a natural solution instead.
After following the steps outlined below, Alex was able to finally lower his cholesterol into the healthy range for the first time in over 10 years! He was thrilled and his doctor was amazed, and he didn’t have to take any medication at all.
1. Increase Fiber: Fiber-rich foods can help reduce the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream. It binds other cholesterol contained in food and binds to the cholesterol produced by your body that is released into the intestines from the gall bladder. Once bound to fiber, it cannot be absorbed and is eliminated from the body. The best sources of fiber come from plants and include psyllium, oats, beans, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
2. Limit saturated fat: Saturated fats come primarily from animal products like butter, cheese, high fat meats and eggs. While not all these foods are unhealthy, limiting their intake will help to lower your cholesterol levels.
3. Healthy Fats: As you work to eliminate saturated fats from your diet, try to include healthy fats. My favorite things for heart health are fats that come from nuts and seeds. If you are going to use oil for cooking for dressing food, I suggest you stick to only olive oil or avocado oil which are the least likely to raise cholesterol levels.
4. Move your body: Exercise is one of the only proven ways to increase the good HDL cholesterol and lower the bad LDL cholesterol. It also helps to lower weight which improves other important factors related to heart health including blood pressure and blood sugar. Plus, it increases the strength of your heart muscle!
5. Stop Smoking: I know this is obvious, but if you smoke……stop! It will eventually damage your heart.
6. Moderate Alcohol: Limiting alcohol intake is a great way to lower triglycerides, total cholesterol and reduce inflammation in the body. All of these factors contribute to heart disease and while some alcohol intake is generally okay, you may be consuming more than ideal. Reduce your alcohol intake to one beverage per day or eliminate it entirely.
7. Natural Herbs: There are many effective supplements on the market for lowering cholesterol and supporting heart health. Bergamot extracts, berberine, red yeast rice, garlic and the B-vitamin niacin can all significantly lower cholesterol levels and help you get your numbers into the optimal range.
Rachel Oppitz, ND
