Christmas and New Year gives us an excuse to break away from our stringent diet and exercise routine to indulge ourselves. But come New Year we start having pangs of guilt over the impact on our health and one of the main concerns is raised cholesterol levels. Too much cholested - especially low density lipoprotein (LDL) increases risk of cardiovascular disease.
Diet and exercise play an important part in controlling cholesterol. Physical activity helps the body remove cholested. from the blood. Even a slight increase in physical activity can help. Increasing your intake of fibre reduces. the absorption of cholesterol . Foods like oatmeal, psyllium husk (Isabgol) ,beans such at lentile, legumes ,grains, apples, avocado, dalia are some of the great sources of fibre .
Foods high in transfat and saturated fat - mostly found in processed meats, red meat , high fat dany products need to be seriously curtailed. Too much alcohol consumption can lead to serious health issues hence alcohol needs to be consumed in moderation
In addition to the above, Omega 3 fatty acids can help promote a healthy heart. They minimise triglycerides and can raise HDL.,EPA and DHA found in marine life lowers LDL cholesterol and overall health is supported with lowered inflammation.
The omega 3 fatty acid EPA and DHA can help protect protect the heart and blood vessels. They lower triglycerides , improve circulation, prevent blood clots and lower blood pressure. They have benefits for our body and brain, can improve eye health, can reduce chronic inflammation. They can improve bone strength by boosting the amount of calcium in the bones reducing risk of osteoporosis and alleviating arthritis
In countries where people eat more oily fish such as. In the Meditersanean, Greensland and Japan fewer people have heart disease compared to countries where consumption of oily fish is less. The best way to ensure a robust Omega 3 inlake is to get them from whole foods. However if you do not eat a lot of fatty fish fit then turning to an Omega 3 supplement is an effective way to improve health .