One month preparation for a lipid test – get your numbers under control

You are having high cholesterol numbers and you do not want to resort to taking medicines. If you are able to succeed with the right lifestyle changes, both to daily routine and food intake, then you can make those changes permanent and keep those test numbers in control for life.

Daily Routine

• Rise up early and go for a walk.
• Come back to drink water in large quantities.
• You can also consume lemon water, apple cider vinegar and green tea in the morning.
• If you are skipping breakfast, head for an early lunch, say 11:30 am.
• Finish you meal before 1 pm.
• Drink lots of water again at 5 pm.
• Evening walk for at least one hour.
• Walking distance should be at least 10 kms.
• Head to the bed early.

Food plan

Here is where it is going to make most of the difference. Red meat, egg yoks and dry fruits have been identified as those packed with nutrients and also those who add to the cholesterol numbers.

Alcohol and beer with or without the sugary drinks also are a major contributors.

Desi Ghee, butter and refined oil comes in the next category.

Coconut oil is another source of cholesterol.

These items are the common culprits and hence you can cut down these either whole or in combination.

• Drink apple cider vinegar and lemon water early in the morning.
• Methi seeds ground to a powder and consumed with water are known to reduce cholesterol.
• Break you fast with curd.
• Curd provides with protein and the necessary gut bacteria to start you day.
• Prepare a salad of cucumber, onions, carrot and other items as available.
• Boiled and unsalted mix veg and other seasonal vegetables come next.
• Paneer, chia seeds and green peas is a good source of protein and nutrients.
• Green peas, kala channa and chia seeds are good for fiber.
• Kala Channa and Masoor Dal are good source of iron.
• Avocado is the best fruit to fight cholesterol numbers.
• You can make a combo of the above items on a rotational basis.

The other nuts and seeds like almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds are good for health but they are dense with nutrition and many of them contain oils which will not help with the test numbers.

Fish is a good alternative to red meat and the commercially available chicken. But this diet will be vegetarian.

Summary

The fight against cholesterol means a two pronged approach. Diet and exercise and medicine. If the first option works, you need not shift to the second option which is medicine.

As per doctors, medicine is essential if cholesterol is hereditary. The only way to know is first try the diet and lifestyle changes option. If it works, make the changes life long.