- Manage your blood sugar. If you have insulin resistance or diabetes this can increase your number of LDL particles. Reducing your intake of sugar and processed flour is the first place to start.
- Exercise regularly. Additionally sit less and stand or walk more – this non-exercise activity may have a greater impact on your heart health than your scheduled exercise.
- Sleep more and stress less. Both have a significant impact on heart disease.
- Eat cold water, fatty fish and take a high quality fish oil supplement to get plenty of omega3 fats. I’m excited about this Omega MonoPure fish oil, which is 3 times more absorbable than regular fish oil. Call the office for a consultation to see if this is a good fit for you and we can provide you with a referral code to order.
- Eat mono-unsaturated fats from olives, olive oil, avocado, avocado oil and macadamia nuts.
- Consume antioxidant rich foods and supplements to prevent oxidative damage (a major risk factor for heart disease). That means eat a rainbow of vegetables and some fruits like dark, leafy greens and berries. Don’t forget that red meat and organ meats like liver are rich in antioxidants like retinol (vitamin A) and CoQ10 that you won’t get in plant foods.
- Polyphenol rich foods have been show to have a variety of health benefits:
- Dark chocolate has been shown to lower blood pressure and LDL cholesterol and improve insulin sensitivity;
- Several studies have shown that hibiscus tea lowers blood pressure in people with hypertension;
- Blueberries have been shown to lower blood pressure and oxidized LDL in men and women with metabolic syndrome.
- 8. Soluble fiber binds to cholesterol to help your body eliminate excess and it improves insulin sensitivity. Soluble fiber is found in oats, vegetables like Brussels sprouts, turnips, carrots, sweet and white potatoes, squash and asparagus, and fruits like apricots, prunes, pears, oranges, grapefruit and mangoes.
Let us know if you have questions or have had improvements with any of these. We love to hear from you.
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