Posted by Savneet Singh on Jul.21, 2010

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Regular physical activity can  help with both weight loss and lowering cholesterol. Exercise  increases HDL , the good cholesterol while lowering your LDL -the bad cholesterol. The American Heart Association recommends 30 minutes of exercise on most days of the week.If you are new to exercise or haven’t been active in awhile, start slowly and increase your workout time and intensity as you get stronger. A good starting point is 20 minutes of aerobic activity, 3 times per week. Examples include walking, swimming and biking. The best activities to do are the ones you enjoy and will stick with. Eventually, the goal is to work up to 45-60 minutes, 5 times per week. It is also important to let your body warm up and cool down gradually during each exercise session (5-10 minutes each).

Always talk to your doctor before beginning an exercise program. Underlying health conditions, such as uncontrolled blood pressure, can make certain types of exercise unsafe.

A few healthy dietary habits can help lower the cholesterol level in your blood:

• Keep track of your cholesterol intake everyday. Limit dietary cholesterol to 300 milligrams a day.
• Limit the fat in your diet, and choose healthy fats.
• Replace your cooking oil with olive oil or canola oil for salad dressing, sautéing vegetables, cooking and baking. These oils are rich in monounsaturated fat.
• Include fish, rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and is good for cholesterol. Salmon, mackerel, tuna, and halibut are excellent sources.
• Cut back on trans fatty acids. Avoid  margarine, as well as packaged foods, cookies and crackers.
• Complex carbs are rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals. Choose more whole grain breads and cereals, pasta, brown rice, and dried beans and peas.
• Enjoy fruits and vegetables more often.
• Snack on a small handful of seeds and nuts, like almonds, walnuts, pecans, and peanuts, 3-5 times a week for monounsaturated fats.
• Limit the intake of salt. High blood pressure is associated with a diet high in sodium.
• Intake more soluble fiber, found in oats, rice, bran, barley, dried peas and beans, and certain fruits like prunes and apples.

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Posted under Fitness For Body & Mind, Health Alerts.