How to Lower Cholesterol in a Few Days

Cholesterol is a fatty substance derived from food you eat that does not dissolve in your bloodstream. High cholesterol levels can cause inflammation, blood clotting, and advanced aging, and can lead to heart attacks.

Things You'll Need

• free weights and/or weight machine
• watch
• yoga mat or clean, comfortable rug
• journal

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Instructions

Eating Habits

• 1

  Eat foods that are lower in calories and fat, as high-fat foods are dangerous to your blood vessels and elevate your cholesterol levels. Choose foods that are high in omega-3 fatty acids, like fish, as these foods are anti-clotting and anti-inflammatory. Omega-3 fatty acids reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke.

• 2

  Try the Paleolithic Diet. The Paleolithic Diet is associated with a low incidence of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and high cholesterol. Eat foods that are easily obtained from the environment, like fruits, vegetables, legumes, beans, and lean meats. Stay away from fried and processed foods. Do not eat processed foods, high-fructose corn syrup, refined sugar, fried foods, butter, mayonnaise, and sweets. Stick with foods that were not created by modern technology as a basic rule.

• 3

  Follow the DASH Diet plan. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. The DASH diet consists of fruits and vegetables, nuts, legumes, seeds, and foods that are low in salt. This diet goes hand in hand with the Paleolithic Diet and is heart-healthy.

• 4

  Consume soy protein, as it has been shown to be effective in lowering cholesterol. Soy also contains phytoestrogens, which promote blood vessel health. Tofu, soybeans, soymilk, and soynuts are excellent sources of soy protein. Soy containes isoflavones, which are responsible for lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (or "bad") cholesterol.

• 5

  Take flaxseed oil or fish oil. It helps prevent heart attacks and strokes as well as decreasing LDL and raising high-density lipoprotein (or "good") cholesterol. If you prefer, you may take fish oil instead of flaxseed oil, as fish oil has the same benefits and is most easily used by your body.

Exercise

• 6

  Evaluate your fitness level. Your exercise plan will depend entirely on your physical condition, so do not jump on the treadmill for four hours if you have led a sedentary lifestyle up to this point. Request a physical from your doctor to determine your fitness level before beginning any exercise program.

• 7

  Walk on a level surface for 10 to 30 minutes per day.

• 8

  For weight training, begin with two or three sets of 10 to 12 repetitions of upper body and lower body resistance training at a weight you feel you can handle.

• 9

  Measure your heart rate as you exercise. Take your pulse for 10 seconds and then multiply that number by six to determine your number of beats per minute. A target pule range for a 30-year-old is 133 to 162 beats per minute, while for a 65-year-old it is 109 to 132 beats per minute. Consult your doctor for a target heart rate that is specific to your health condition.

• 10

  Increase the weight or amount of repetitions in your weight training as well as the amount of time you spend on aerobic exercise daily, even if only by a small amount. It will take more exercise to increase your pulse once you become used to your workout.

Meditation

• 11

  Sit in a comfortable position on a yoga mat or clean rug in a quiet environment, resting both of your hands on your knees with your palms facing upward.

• 12

  With your head facing forward and remaining level, close your eyes.

• 13

  Listen to your breathing. Count silently from one to five as you inhale and from five to one as you exhale, imagining good, clean thoughts entering as you inhale and negativity leaving as you exhale.

• 14

  Try to clear your mind of the thoughts of the day, and focus on absolutely nothing (aside from your breathing). This is more difficult than it sounds.

• 15

  Repeat the meditation process at least once daily to reduce stress. According to What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Cholesterol by Dr. Stephen R. Devries, meditation dramatically reduces blood pressure and could help your body reverse the hardening of your arteries.