Natural Ways to Lower Cholesterol & High Blood Pressure

Cholesterol is a natural component of cell membranes, which is made by the body and also absorbed from the food we eat. Cholesterol is actually beneficial when its concentration in the blood is not excessive. It is carried in the blood by lipoproteins; HDL and LDL are lipoproteins. Regulation of cholesterol is done by altering the levels of lipoproteins in the blood. Cholesterol accelerates atherosclerosis, which causes high blood pressure. Both cholesterol and high blood pressure can be prevented naturally.
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Low-Fat Diet

Reducing your intake of fat and dietary cholesterol are great ways of lowering your cholesterol. A significant amount of cholesterol enters the body through the food we eat, so try to avoid saturated fat and trans fat. The Cleveland Clinic advises the use of olive oil in cooking most foods and the use of canola oil for most baking. Fat provides twice as many calories per gram, in comparison to carbohydrates and proteins. Weight gain results when the intake of calories exceed the amount of calories used. Calories from fat should not exceed 30 percent of total calories per day.
A 2,000-calorie diet should contain no more than 60 g fat. Adhering to a low-fat diet results in decreases in cholesterol and also reduces your risk for heart disease.

Low-Sodium Diet

Eating healthy means choosing foods that are also low in salt. Many foods we eat contain more salt than we need. Salt, or sodium, is a major cause of high blood pressure. High blood pressure can be prevented by watching the intake of sodium through diet. The American Heart Associate recommends a daily sodium intake of less than 2.4 g per day. This amount is equivalent to 1 tsp. of table salt per day. An individual with high blood pressure should reduce sodium intake to 1,500 mg per day. A low-sodium diet can be challenging, but it is very effective in lowering blood pressure.

Exercise

Exercise has been proven to elevate HDL levels in the blood, and HDL removes cholesterol from the blood. The Mayo Clinic recommends regular physical activity; exercise should be for at least 30 minutes per day and should done on most days of the week. Results of physical activity are immediate, lowering blood pressure by 4 to 9 mmHg. Make physical activity fun; exercise with your spouse or a friend and take music with you.