Foods that help lower blood cholesterol

In today’s world everyone wants to be slim, sleek and in good health. The next major problem found in many of us is blood cholesterol. Cholesterol is a waxy and fatty substance that is found in all cells of our body. While our body needs some cholesterol to work effectively, the major problem is when the cholesterol can’t dissolve in our blood. So day-by-day after the intake of fatty foods, the cholesterol which we consume get deposited in our blood vessels and eventually it blocks our blood flow path, putting our life at risk. The intake of fat rich food will make you gain excess weight or obesity, which can also lead to other life taking risk factors.

High cholesterol leads us to stroke, cold sweat, plaque and headache. It can also occur due to heredity. Your genes partly determine how much cholesterol your body makes. This should be discussed with your doctor and you should maintain a balanced fat level. So remember, if you are fat or over weight, you may be the first in your family to get a heart problem. It is very helpful to reduce fat and cholesterol products in your daily diet. Analyze your food intake and maintain a commitment to change your food intake accordingly to fit your body’s conditions or needs.

The main source of fat or cholesterol is oil, butter, deep fried snacks, eggs yolks, meats, chicken, poultry, ice cream and much more. A person with more tension in work, as well as smoking, drinking, using drugs, or stress are also major causes for high blood cholesterol. You should increase the content of fiber in your daily diet, which can help you dissolve the excess fat in your body. So choose low fat foods to avoid high blood pressure.

Eat foods rich in carbohydrates and fiber, such as fruits, vegetables, fish, and whole grains which will help you reduce risks of heart failure and other Cardiac diseases. Doing Regular exercise will help you lower your cholesterol and loose weight. It also promotes good blood circulation and helps maintain the normal blood flow to every part of the body. Walking and swimming can also be a good exercise to reduce the cholesterol level in your blood. One can add poly unsaturated oils like sunflower oil, corn oil, soybean oil, and rice ban oil instead of your regular fatty oil. It is also important to drink at least 3 liters of water everyday.

There are certain basic rules that should be followed before purchasing a product which may also help you manage your diet. Keep reading the labels, which offer excellent information to help you compare fat content of prepared foods. By comparing those you can choose the right food item and the quantity that is good for you. For a normal person the cholesterol level should be between 150-200 and the daily cholesterol intake should be less than 300 milligrams. People with severe high blood cholesterol levels may need an even greater reduction and should be very careful in their diet.

After reaching a balanced blood cholesterol level, try to maintain a proper diet. If your blood cholesterol level has not been lowered even after following these steps and a controlled diet for 6 months, consult a doctor immediately. Your doctor may consider adding cholesterol-lowering medication to your dietary treatment. Always remember that diet control is a very essential step for lowering your blood cholesterol. Strive to follow these steps as they are in the best interest of your health.

Reduce risks of heart failure with cardiac rehabilitation

Cardiac rehabilitation is a medically supervised program to help heart patients recover quickly and improve their overall physical, mental and social functioning. The main source of heart problem is often due to high blood pressure, smoking, high blood cholesterol, physical inactivity, obesity and diabetes. People should take care of their heart both before and after a heart problem starts. As per physician advice, cardiac rehabilitation is helpful to patients with congestive heart failure, chest pain due to clogged heart arteries, recent heart attack, and coronary bypass surgery, etc. Research has found that only 20 percent of patients seek cardiac rehabilitation after a heart attack or coronary bypass surgery. Rehabilitation has been found to help people reduce the risks of subsequent cardiac disease or disability by educating them about the cause and consequences of heart problem.

The rehabilitation helps patients in many ways. If someone has had a heart attack, they may be afraid to exercise because exercise training as part of cardiac rehabilitation may not be safe for all patients. For example, people who have very high blood pressure or severe heart disease may not be ready to exercise. These patients can still benefit from other parts of the cardiac rehabilitation program. Rehabilitation programs include exercise training, education on heart healthy living, and counseling to reduce stress, tension and help people return to an active life. People of all ages can benefit from cardiac rehabilitation but the lifestyle changes made during rehabilitation must be implemented. These changes can improve your overall health and prevent future heart problems. Now, rehabilitation includes helping patients with smoking cessation, diet, risk factors, and lifestyle habits. Rehabilitation best suits people who are just recovering from a heart attack or heart related illnesses as well as people who would like to regain their strength and fitness after a heart surgery. Cardiac Rehabilitation plays a vital role in bringing people to active life safely.

The Cardiac Rehabilitation program may vary from patient to patient and condition of the patient. The cardiac rehabilitation team will assess your physical and mental conditions and create an easy-to-follow plan. It will include warm up, flexibility exercises, cooling down, resistance training, and healthy eating plans.  It may also include steps to lower your high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, overweight and obesity, diabetes, smoking, emotional health,  and also counseling for sexual dysfunction. By combining all these aspects of cardiovascular rehabilitation in appropriate ways, a patient improves functional capacity, quality of life and creates a sense of well-being and optimism thus reducing the risk factors of heart failure in the future.