by Melissa Chichester
It’s a waxy, fat-like substance that your body needs to make Vitamin D, hormones, and other substances. It is also needed to build healthy cells. However, when certain types of cholesterol get too high, it can impact your health. That includes cardiovascular health.
Supporting healthy cholesterol levels doesn’t have to be challenging. Here are three key steps you can take to feel confident about cholesterol.
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The most important way to support your cholesterol is to know your personal numbers and understand what they mean.
This includes knowing:
You can receive all of these numbers from your doctor by getting a simple blood test. Monitoring these numbers every year can help you keep track of if these numbers get too high or if your HDL cholesterol is too low.
Heart Essentials™ Cholest Wise with Plant Sterols is a supplement that helps lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Foods containing at least 0.5 g per serving of phytosterols eaten with meals or snacks for a daily total intake of 2 g as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease through the intermediate link of blood total and LDL cholesterol. A serving of Cholest Wise supplies 0.6 g of phytosterols.
>>How to Read Cholesterol and Heart Health Test Results
Fats play a role in cholesterol levels. Knowing what kind of fats to eat can help you nutritionally support your cholesterol levels.
Omega-3s are some of the most important fatty acids you need for cellular health.*
Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is found in many plant-based sources of omega-3 fatty acids. This includes flaxseeds and chia seeds.
DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) are omega-3s found in fatty fish, such as salmon and sardines. Getting enough EPA and DHA omega-3s from fish oil helps maintain the health of your cardiovascular system and supports healthy circulation.*
Omega-3s are heart-healthy polyunsaturated fats that help maintain cholesterol levels already within a normal range.*
Other fats that have an impact on cholesterol levels include:
By knowing what fats support your cholesterol levels, you can make better nutritional choices and eat more foods that contain healthy fats.
>>5 Plant-Based Sources of Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Physical activity is another important way to maintain healthy cholesterol levels. A sedentary lifestyle lowers HDL cholesterol, which is your good cholesterol.
The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise a week to maintain healthy cholesterol levels. That’s 30 minutes of exercise 5 days per week.
Walking is a great way to get started with physical activity. And if you can’t do 30 minutes per day, start small and work your way up. Talk to your doctor about what kind of physical activity is best for you.
If you’re overwhelmed about supporting cholesterol levels, making small changes in your diet and lifestyle is a great place to start. The good news is that you can start supporting healthy cholesterols and maintaining them at any time with the help of your doctor.
