How I Turned My Cholesterol From Bad To Good In 3 Months

The word ‘Cholesterol’ is thrown around a lot in today’s world, and much of the time in the wrong context. Although it has a vital role within our general health and well-being, too much cholesterol can be bad for you. I recently found this out on a routine check-up at my doctors, where after a blood test, it was revealed I had slightly high cholesterol.

Being a 30-year-old male with a relatively active lifestyle, this news came as a surprise to me. The doctor told me that at the moment it’s not too much to worry about but if it stays high it may have to be further looked into.
I was then booked an appointment at the hospital just to be on the safe side. After testing I was told my current cholesterol level stood at 5.8 mmols. Put simply, if there are no other risk factors present, anything below 5 mmols is a good cholesterol level.

The Fight Back!

This is when I decided to actively try to lower my cholesterol, and to do this I needed help. A friend of mine is a physiotherapist with dietician credentials so I decided to talk to him about food and fitness. He said that diet and exercise are two of the most important things when lowering cholesterol levels. Taking a brisk walk for 30 minutes a day can do wonders for your heart. Eating healthy is equally as important, and also avoiding fatty foods whilst trying to increase a variety of fruit, vegetables and wholegrain foods into your diet. Lean meats such as turkey and oily fish such as Mackerel can also help your cholesterol level.

Taking this information on board, and with a little research, I devised myself a diet and exercise timetable. I carried on with my usual exercise routine of running twice a week and playing football, and added 30 min walks on the other days. The most important part was getting the diet correct. I didn’t have a really bad diet before I took on the challenge, but I also didn’t have a great one. I’d eat my fair share of crisps, chocolate and fatty foods like pizza and chips, but I’d also eat a lot of healthy foods such as vegetables and fish. What I needed to do what eat less of the bad stuff, and more of the good stuff.

Food For Thought

To do this my diet needed an overhaul. First of all I switched white bread for wholegrain bread. Anything wholegrain is much better for your cholesterol as it keeps in all the goodness, unlike foods such as white bread or white rice. Bringing items with healthy fats into your diet such as nuts is a good way to snack throughout the day and will stop you reaching for a chocolate bar or packet of crisps. Replacing butter with a polysaturated margarine can also help. Fish and lean meats such as chicken and turkey are a good choice for dinner along with vegetables and boiled potatoes.

Here’s a sample of what I would eat in one day:

• Breakfast: Bowl of muesli and slice of brown toast
• Lunch: Wholegrain pasta salad with low fat French dressing
• Dinner: River Cobbler fish with mixed vegetables and boiled baby potatoes
• Snacks: Nuts and fruits throughout the day

Changing anything in your life is hard to do at first, and changing diet is no exception. Don’t worry if you have certain bad foods now and again, just try to stick to what you’ve set out to eat as much as you can, and this, coupled with daily exercise, should see your cholesterol levels moving in the right direction.

The Results...

After 3 months I took another trip to the doctors to get another blood test and see how my cholesterol was doing. After waiting a painstakingly long week for the results, I finally got them and it was good news. My cholesterol has dropped to 4.4 mmols, and, as mentioned earlier in the article, anything under 5mmols is a fine cholesterol level.

My hard work with diet and exercise had paid off. Not only had my cholesterol lowered, but I felt happier and fitter than before: just a couple of other benefits from the change in lifestyle.

If you decide to take up the challenge of lowering your cholesterol, it must be remembered that everyone is different, and everyone’s bodies will react differently to a cholesterol-lowering regime. You need to find what’s right for you and what can fit into your personal lifestyle.

The internet is full of cholesterol-lowering tips, but just make sure that its from a viable source, and if you want to find out more, ask your doctor for more information.