Ayurvedic Strategic Lifestyle Changes for Lowering Cholesterol

Ayurveda emphasis that a disciplined diet and exercise plan can help lower ldl and improve hdl.

Here are a few time tested strategies that you may adopt to bring total cholesterol lower and keep it that way

1. Walking 2 miles in 30 minutes 3 times a week constitutes a moderate level of aerobic exercise. That may be enough to raise your hdl cholesterol by 1 to 3 points (higher is better) and lower your ldl cholesterol (lower is better).

If you can't get in a 30-minute block of exercise all at once, do a few minutes of exercise here and there throughout the day (climb the stairs at work, walk around the block on your lunch break, park and walk). Researchers have demonstrated that exercise even without weight loss can have a positive impact on improving cholesterol levels. It is the amount of activity, and not necessarily any changes in fitness or intensity of exercise that is important for cholesterol improvement and decreasing the risk factors for heart disease and stroke.

2. Do deep breathing exercise for 10 min daily. It helps refresh your system and is an effective distress technique too.

3. Drink 6-8 glasses of water daily

4. Quit smoking. Smoking lowers hdl cholesterol levels and increases the tendency for blood to clot

5. Avoid alcohol.

Diet

6. Start your day with fresh fruits and high soluble fibre grain such as oats

7. Eat plenty of vegetables, esp green leafy vegetables, fruits and whole pulses. Certain foods really do have health benefits for controlling cholesterol and overall heart health beyond providing basic nutrition.

    Broccoli
    Fish or fish oil
    Green leafy vegetables
    Oranges or orange juice
    Carrots
    Garlic
    Fiber oats/oat bran/oatmeal

8 take enough good fat in food, don't avoid fat. Sesame oil, olive oil, rape seed oil are healthy.

9. Garlic- one or two cloves before your breakfast is beneficial in boosting hdl

Turmeric and curry leaves can be used as spices in various foods.

Isabgol (psyllium husk) at bedtime is also beneficial in boosting hdl

Medicine

10. Arjuna, guggulu can be added as medication on ayurvedic physician advice

Conventional aspects

The ncep national cholesterol education program has recommended a therapeutic lifestyle-change diet, which should be incorporated in the treatment of all patients. The following are recommendations:

    Patients should reduce their intake of saturated fats to less than 7% of their total calorie (energy) intake. Their cholesterol intake should be reduced to less than 200 mg/d. Trans fatty acids (the hdl-lowering, ldl-raising fats) should be kept to a minimum. Polyunsaturated fats should constitute up to 10% of total energy intake, and monounsaturated fats, up to 20% of total energy intake. Total fat intake, therefore, should be in the range of 25-35% of total energy intake.
    Carbohydrates (complex carbohydrates from grains, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables) should constitute 50-60% of total energy intake.
    Patients should consume 20-30 g/d of fiber.
    The protein content should be approximately 15% of total energy intake.
    In order to maintain a desirable body weight and to prevent weight gain, the total amount of energy consumed must be balanced in terms of energy intake and expenditure.