Reducing Your Risk of Lipid Disorders
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Related Media: High Blood Cholesterol - Cooking Healthy Meals
There are several lifestyle modifications that can lower your risk of developing a lipid disorder. They are:
Keep your diet low in saturated fats,
trans
fats, and cholesterol. Look for foods rich in whole grains. Make fruits and vegetables a major part of your diet. Your doctor may recommend a meal plan or refer you to a registered dietitian. A dietitian can design an eating plan for you.
General guidelines include:
- Limit calories from saturated fat. They should be less than 7% of your total calorie intake. Limit cholesterol intake to less than 200 mg per day.
- Have fruits and/or vegetables with every meal.
- Eat oily fish that are high in omega-3 fatty acids twice a week, and limit excess carbohydrates.
Exercise can help decrease LDL and increase HDL cholesterol levels. Choose exercises you enjoy and will make a regular part of your day. Strive to maintain an exercise program that keeps you fit and at a healthful weight. For most people, this could include walking or participating in another aerobic activity for 30 minutes every day. But check with your doctor before starting any new exercise program.
Follow the dietary and exercise plan recommended by your doctor. To lose weight, consume fewer calories than you expend. To maintain a healthful weight, eat an equal number of calories to those you use.
Alcohol can raise triglyceride levels. Moderation means one or fewer alcoholic beverages per day for women and two or fewer for men. One drink equals 12 ounces of beer or four ounces of wine or one ounce of 100-proof spirits.
Smoking lowers HDL (good cholesterol) levels. If you are a smoker, consider a smoking cessation program or cessation aids to help you stop. Quitting smoking can improve your overall cholesterol picture and your overall health.
References
Hypercholesterolemia. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at:
https://dynamed.ebscohost.com/about/about-us. Updated September 9, 2012. Accessed September 12, 2012.
Prevention and treatment of high cholesterol. American Heart Association website. Available at:
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Cholesterol/PreventionTreatmentofHighCholesterol/Prevention-and-Treatment-of-High-Cholesterol%5FUCM%5F001215%5FArticle.jsp.
Published August 2012. Accessed September 12, 2012.
What is cholesterol?
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
website. Available at:
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/hbc/. Accessed September 12, 2012.