When it comes to lowering LDL cholesterol, most people don’t realise that there are so many factors that influence their cholesterol in the first place and one of those is stress.
Without doubt, a healthy diet is considered to be the main ingredient for lowering LDL cholesterol and for a healthy heart, but most experts now believe that it’s only part of the recipe.
Even way back in the 1950′s, Professor Ancel Keys recognized that lifestyle factors as well as diet played a role in keeping your heart healthy. And that includes learning how to lower LDL cholesterol naturally, slowing down the pace of life and having less stress.
Amazing Tips For Lowering LDL Cholesterol, Improving Heart Health And Reducing Stress
When you are stressed, your body releases the hormone adrenaline into your blood, and this extra adrenaline increases your blood pressure, heart rate and blood flow. It also allows more air into your lungs.
The most common causes of every day stress are:
- work overload
- exams
- interviews
- relationship problems
- moving house
- getting married
The stress caused by these, and other events, puts your heart under tremendous pressure, as it has to work much harder to pump blood around your body more quickly. Combine this with high LDL cholesterol levels and you run the risk of having a heart attack.
Of course, just being stressed alone won’t cause you to have a heart attack, but if you have an underlying heart problem, such as atherosclerosis (narrowing and hardening of the arteries from high LDL cholesterol), then your chances of developing heart related problems increases significantly.
Lowering LDL cholesterol is important, especially in times of stress, as stress can affect your diet, exercise, smoking and drinking habits, all of which affect your cholesterol levels.
The 10 top tips to beat stress are as follows:
1. Exercise regularly. Try to aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise five times a week. This will not only help with your stress, but it is very effective at lowering LDL cholesterol, while raising HDL.
2. Try not to bottle things up as this only makes things worse. Talk to family members, friends, colleagues or someone you feel comfortable talking with.
3. Give some consideration to taking relaxation classes such as yoga or meditation and make sure you get plenty of restful sleep.
4. Make time for “you”! Indulge in some relaxing “me time” doing something that you will enjoy – maybe read a book, listen to music or have a nice long soak in the bath.
5. Try to avoid smoking or drinking more alcohol, as this will only increase your levels of stress, as well as your cholesterol levels. Keeping your smoking and drinking in check will limit your level of stress and will assist with lowering LDL cholesterol.
6. Make sure you eat regularly and try not to skip any meals as low blood sugar levels will just make you feel more tired, hungry, irritable and less likely to cope with stressful situations.
7. Eat a healthy diet, full of fibre-rich foods, as these will keep your blood sugar levels in check between meals, not to mention that they will help to lower LDL cholesterol too.
8. Drink lots of water as dehydration affects your concentration and focus and will make it more difficult for you to cope in times of stress.
9. Don’t be afraid to say “no” when you need to and learn to manage your time well so that you don’t feel under pressure to get things done.
10. If your stress levels are really high, then do consider having some stress counselling or taking some stress management sessions. There is nothing to be ashamed of in doing so and you will reap the benefits.
Most people, in times of stress, take less exercise, eat a poor diet that full of sugary and fatty foods, and smoke and drink too much, all of which can increase your risk factors for coronary heart disease, such as high LDL cholesterol, high blood pressure and unwanted weight gain.
This is one of the reasons why lowering LDL cholesterol levels is so important at all times, so that you limit your risk of developing heart disease, a heart attack, a stroke or worse.
Why Lowering LDL Cholesterol Naturally Can Actually Improve Your Stress Levels And Heart Health
The foods you eat affect your overall mood. Some foods provide short-term highs while others sustain your “good” moods and ability to cope for much longer. Following an LDL cholesterol lowering diet has far more benefits that simply keeping your cholesterol levels healthy.
The fact is a diet to lower cholesterol contains all of the foods your body needs to nourish and sustain itself. And you can support your diet with natural supplements to ensure that your body is not missing out on any invaluable nutrients that could potentially affect your health and your stress levels.
Learning how to lower LDL cholesterol naturally will help you to not only achieve a healthy heart, healthy arteries, and increased life span, but it will also help you to feel happier within yourself as your body will be in a better position to cope with whatever life throws at it.
Lowering LDL cholesterol does not have to be a chore. Just follow some basic guidelines:
- eat foods that are high in fibre and low in saturated fat
- exercise on a regular basis
- strengthen your diet with pure, natural Omega 3 fish oil. Did you know that high grade, natural Omega 3 fish oil will not only lower LDL cholesterol, but will also improve brain and mental health as well?
- quit or limit smoking if you can as you will feel so much better, not to mention your LDL cholesterol levels will improve
- ensure your body is not missing out on valuable nutrients that could contribute to your stress levels by taking natural supplements full of high quality ingredients on a regular basis
- only drink alcohol in moderation as it can have a negative impact on your cholesterol and stress levels if you overdo it
Stress can affect you in so many ways, but you can treat it by following all of the advice, guidance and tips that are outlined above. And in the process, you will be lowering LDL cholesterol to improve your heart health and ensure you live a long, healthy, happy and fruitful life to enjoy with your family, friends and loved ones.
