15 Most Common Mistakes That Can Raise Cholesterol
You might have heard the word cholesterol in relation to heart diseases and cardiovascular problems. Well, cholesterol on its own is not an enemy of your health. It is a substance similar in consistency to wax and plays an important role in the proper functioning of your hormones. It also has a role in carrying out various biochemical processes in your body. However, the problem arises when you start experiencing high cholesterol symptoms. When your body has higher than normal cholesterol levels, it starts interfering with some substances found in the blood. Consequently, it results in the formation of a plaque that deposits in the arterial walls. It makes the walls of your arteries narrower and in the worst-case scenario, entirely blocks them. When this happens, the person suffers from a heart attack.
What Is a Normal Cholesterol Level?
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A normal cholesterol level is lower than 200 ml per dl. This amount is ideal for adults. If someone shows a cholesterol reading of 200 to 239 ml per dl then that person is suffering from borderline high cholesterol levels. The person may or may not be exhibiting high cholesterol symptoms at this point. However, if a person’s cholesterol levels are 240 mg per dl or above then that then he or she definitely needs to take steps to reduce it. They will be warned by the doctor about facing high cholesterol symptoms and consequences like heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, and the like.
What Causes High Cholesterol in People?
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There are many lifestyle mistakes that people make that raises their cholesterol levels. You can prevent yourself from falling prey to cholesterol symptoms by preventing these mistakes.
The sedentary lifestyle of many people makes them highly prone to developing high levels of cholesterol. A lack of physical activity directly raises your cholesterol levels. Even doing moderate levels of exercise for at least 45 minutes will make sure that your cholesterol levels do not go above the healthy range.
Eating foods that are high in saturated and trans fat on a regular basis is another grave mistake that people commit. It significantly raises their cholesterol levels rapidly. What reduces cholesterol quickly? Well, it is the elimination of these types of fat from your food and their replacement with unsaturated fats like those found in dry fruits and olive oil.
Many people forget to test themselves regularly. Going for regular blood checks is a sure way by which high cholesterol levels can be avoided. Since there are no visible high cholesterol symptoms, a blood check is the only way to alert yourself against it in advance.
Carrying too much belly fat will also make you prone to developing high cholesterol in your body. Keeping a check on your diet and exercising regularly are the ways by which this fat can be targeted and reduced in an effective manner.
People who are in a habit of eating fast food are committing a serious mistake. It will lead them to store cholesterol in their arteries.
If your meals are high in sugar then also you are at a high risk of developing an increased cholesterol level. You should immediately take steps to reduce the excess sugar in your meals so that your cholesterol does not increases.
People also often wean off their cholesterol medications once they have brought their levels under control. But this is a common mistake as consuming these medications only when your cholesterol levels are high can lead you to develop health complications.
People who go on diets on and off are also committing a serious mistake. It is because a diet that is restricted in calories cannot be carried out over a prolonged period of time. When people come out of it, they start eating high fat and high sugar foods which result in weight gain.
Cholesterol medications are to be consumed with water. But people generally take these medications with juice especially at night when there is a high production of cholesterol in the body. Instead of reducing the cholesterol levels, you will experience an increase in it.
People who regularly consume large amounts of ghee, different types of butter, and deep-fried food are supplying their bodies with a high amount of saturated fats. It will directly increase your cholesterol build-up. Start replacing these food items with low-fat versions.
If you are smoking then apart from being at an increased risk for developing various diseases you are also at risk of developing high cholesterol. Quitting smoking will lead to a significant improvement in your cholesterol.
People often overlook the need for fibre in their diet. Fibre, especially soluble ones lower your bad cholesterol levels. So you should start including it in your diet as part of your daily meals.
People who drink too much invariably develop high cholesterol. It is because alcohol increases the amount of fat in your blood. Stick to no more than one to two drinks per day if you want to keep your cholesterol in check.
Those who take prescription medications need to be careful too. Mixing up your medications or making up for the missed dose by consuming double the amount will only wreak havoc on your cholesterol.
Sitting for long periods at a time apart from making you inactive also raises your cholesterol. Take time out to get active for a few minutes after every two hours daily.
These mistakes will deteriorate your health in the long run. If you want to know what should you avoid if you have high cholesterol, start correcting all the mistakes mentioned above.