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Exercise, dietary modification and stress reduction all play a role in the reduction of a cholesterol level.

In terms of diet it’s what you omit from your diet combined with what you introduce that gives you the best results. Reducing sources of saturated fats as seen in processed foods and fatty meat cuts and exchanging them for healthy fats that are mono and polyunsaturated will aid in improving your cholesterol ratio. These beneficial fats can be found in vegetable matter like nuts and seeds.

You can choose not only vegetable spreads as butter replacements but add these seeds into your diet as a snack food or a ground additive on your cereal. If you start your day with an oat based cereal (oats are also associated with cholesterol reduction) and add a teaspoon of linseed meal or LSA (a combination of Linseed, sunflower and almond meal) you are giving your body some vital tools to reduce your cholesterol.

Fibre is also another great tool for fighting bad cholesterol levels. You mentioned psyllium husks and bran but you also need to consider the fibre that you derive from a diet full of fruit and vegetables. A healthy diet features vegetables as the foundational intake. You should feature them as the star of every meal and items like meats, fish and protein rich foods should be the garnish or side dish. Achieving the reputed 5 serves of fruit and vegetables a day is hard for most people but once you start viewing them as the most important part of any meal it becomes a lot easier.

I mentioned stress reduction as a factor in reducing cholesterol. Most people consider that stress does not contribute to cholesterol it just makes the risks of heart disease more dangerous. I view stress not only as a physiological cause of cholesterol but also a psychological one, as we are more likely to be slack in our dietary choices when we are stressed and busy. For example it might seem easier to make a cheese sandwich than it is to make a small salad or steamed vegies for lunch. If you have a fridge and pantry that are prepared for stressful days filled with easy and quick healthy choices you will find that you are less likely to go for the grilled cheese sandwich.

There are also many natural supplements that can aid in the reduction of cholesterol. These include liver formulas (the liver deals with fats), specific nutrients proven to reduce cholesterol like Niacinol as well as plant sterol supplements (sterols are found in your cholesterol reducing margarines). I encourage you to talk to our instore Naturopaths about your needs and utilise these great products in the initial reduction of your cholesterol. Once there dietary maintenance can keep you there.