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You Really Oughta Know This

I want to educate you about all natural ways to reduce cholesterol.  And you will love the side effects – because they are only good.  I’m sharing this because heart disease is the #1 killer in the US.  It kills more than cancer, more than stroke, more than lung disease, more than accidents, more than diabetes.  It is the number one killer of both men and women in the US.  The most common cause of heart disease is due to plaque from too much cholesterol in your arteries and a lot of it is under your control.

Quick Facts About Cholesterol

Now the body makes 75% of its cholesterol in the liver.  Some people make too much of the wrong kind of cholesterol – including me.

The other 25% of cholesterol is absorbed from your intestines.  Some people absorb too much cholesterol from their food – this would be me as well.

The Cholesterol In Your Control

But the good thing is that how much gets absorbed IS under OUR CONTROL.  Besides limiting foods high in cholesterol, one of the easiest ways to minimize cholesterol absorption is by “keeping the pipes clean”.  In other words – you don’t want to have digested food linger in the intestine.  Keep things moving along and poop often!

When I discovered I had high cholesterol, rather than taking a statin, I saw a naturopathic doctor who works with my primary care doctor.  She gave me a “prescription” to minimize my cholesterol.  And I am going to share the “prescription” with you – because it is all natural and the side effects are amazing!

[bctt tweet=”Here are 5 all-natural things you can do to lower your cholesterol without statins.” username=”AudreyWeidman”]

All Natural Ways To Reduce Cholesterol And The Side Effects

1  Eat a lot of fiber!  I incorporate both chia seed and flax seed into my smoothies in the morning.  The good thing about those in particular is that they are naturally high in ala omega 3 fatty acids as well.  I also am sure to get at least 3 pieces of fruit per day and 3 servings of veggies every day.   (A great salad might be one of the easiest and best things you can do to get your veggie servings!).

Fiber stabilizes blood sugar, tends to reduce blood cholesterol and permits better absorption of nutrients.  Work up to getting 25 mg day and be sure to get plenty of water to allow the fiber to pass through easily.  A side effect of eating more fiber, is that you will feel full and likely lose some weight!  Can you live with that???  Source: Mayo Clinic

Check out my chia pudding recipe.  It tastes great, is low in calories and is an easy way to get more fiber into your diet.

2  Make probiotics part of your daily regimen.  When you have a healthy population of the right kind of organisms in your gut, you have greater immunity, you are able to digest your food better, and you are more likely to keep moving things along…

Probiotics help to regulate the amount of cholesterol that is absorbed by the intestines and work best when there is plenty of fiber!

This is one of the probiotics I use.  It has 29 soil-based organisms, doesn’t require refrigeration, and it is best taken right before I go to bed at night a couple of hours after I’ve eaten.  When our stomachs are empty and we are still satisfied from a meal, our stomach isn’t stimulated to make the acids that help to digest our food.  So the probiotic spends less time in the stomach getting digested and can pass into the small intestine to do its job.

I alternate with another probiotic that has different types of probiotics (Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium) that can be taken with food because it is immune to stomach acid.  I put this in my morning smoothie and increase the biodiversity of my gut.

Other side effects of probiotics includes a boosted immune system, preventing urinary tract infections, improving digestion, healing of inflamed bowels, managing and preventing eczema in children, and fighting food-borne illnesses.  I don’t know of any drug that can do all this.  Source: WedMD.

[bctt tweet=”Learn the beneficial side effects you can live with when lowering your cholesterol naturally.” username=”AudreyWeidman”]

3.  Get a great fish oil.  Fish oil has 2 types of omega 3 fatty acids that cannot be found in plants – DHA and EPA.  These types of omega 3’s are directly linked to lowering triglycerides and decreasing the bad cholesterol in your body.

But not all fish oil is created equal.   If you use fish oil, does it smell fishy?  I challenge you to bite into your fish oil capsule.  What does it taste like?  Mine is virtually flavorless.  There is a hint of lemon and I don’t taste fish.   If you haven’t tolerated fish oil in the past, it might be because it is rancid.

Fresh fish doesn’t stink  – only fish that isn’t fresh does.  You could actually be doing more harm than good if your fish oil is stinky because it may cause belching, heartburn, nausea and loose stools.  An unwanted side effect for sure!  The fish oil I use is twice filtered and guaranteed to be free of mercury and PCBs.

Besides decreasing the risk of heart disease and stroke, other “side effects” of using fish oil include reduced symptoms of depression, hypertension, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), joint pain, arthritis and chronic skin ailments like eczema.  Fish oil intake aids the body in weight loss, fertility, pregnancy and increased energy. These are the kind of side effects you want to have, right?  Source: Medical News Today

4. Reduce Inflammation.  When the insides of your arteries are inflamed, cholesterol is more likely to “stick” to the arterial wall to protect and repair it.  So having an effective anti-inflammatory is a really good thing.

Here is what I use.  It uses grape seed extract along with Vitamin C.  I love it because not only is it good for cardiovascular health, but it is a super anti-oxidant for the whole body and improves immunity and promotes healthy skin.  Oh, and it tastes good too.

I also take Vitamin D everyday.  Living in Chicago, especially during the winter, is not conducive to getting enough vitamin D from the sun.  Not only is it good for bone health, it reduces inflammation too!  Vitamin D also lowers blood pressure, may reduce your risk of diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, or multiple sclerosis.  (Source:  Web MD).  Again – these are the side effects you want to have!

5.  Drink Green Tea.  Green Tea improves blood flow, lowers cholesterol and blood pressure, and protects against the oxidation of LDL particles that can lead to atherosclerosis.  If you don’t like the taste of plain green tea (I don’t), find a flavored green tea.  I love Green Mint Tea and Green Tea with Mango.  There are lots of flavor variations out there.  Find one you like and start drinking!

Oh and its side effects include protection against cancer, stroke, inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis, and improve working memory.  Source: Harvard Health.  These are “side effects” I can live with!

Summing It All Up

Of course changing to a heart healthy diet, reducing weight, and quitting smoking are steps we should take towards improving heart health.  But starting small by adding these all natural supplements and foods to your diet is easy.  You will be on your way to improving your health.

Despite having unfavorable genetics, I was able to reduce my cholesterol by 40 points and my triglycerides by 37 points without statins.  Woohoooooo!!!  And these supplements were part of that success plan.  I invite you to do the same.