Health aNd Fitness Guide

1. Regular exercise - Perhaps the most important step in regulating cholesterol levels. Some doctors prescribe a walk for 40 minutes, every day. Exercise burns extra fat which is metabolised.

2. Maintain weight - The focus should be on managing the weight, not looking slim. Increase physical activity and reduce caloric intake in a systematic manner. Body mass index and height decide your ideal weight.

3. Stop smoking, drinking - Smoking leads to fat deposit in the inner walls of the blood vessels, which gradually narrow and reduce the blood supply to the organ. Excessive drinking can damage the liver, where fat metabolism takes place.

4. Avoid saturated fat - Do not consume more than 1 tbsp (15ml) oil every day. Vegetable oils don’t have cholesterol. Cholesterol comes from food like animal fats, meat, eggs and shell fish. Foods high in saturated fat include whole milk, milk products, bakery products, ghee, vanaspati, coconut oil, butter, etc. Substitute whole milk with skimmed milk or cow’s milk, and fried food with baked or steamed food.

5. Eat vegetables and fruits - Antioxidants in fruits and vegetables cleanse the body of toxic substances. Fibre aids digestion. Fruit juice may not help, for juice lacks fibre. Substitute ice cream with frozen fruit-based dessert. Garlic helps in lowering cholesterol.

6. Low-cholesterol diet - The body makes the cholesterol it needs. So choose foods like grain products that have less cholesterol. Prefer complex carbs like brown rice to simple carbs. Eat nuts; almonds and walnuts are the best. Reduce intake of fats and sugars.

7. Less salt - Avoid extra salt in your diet. This means avoid pickles, papad, baked beans, canned soups and processed foods.

8. Eat frequent, smaller meals - Eating large meals tends to cause fat to deposit. The body is able to digest small meals faster.

9. Consume isabgol - Isabgol provides a combination of soluble and insoluble fibres. Insoluble fibres increase the bulk of food within the intestine, aiding the contraction of the intestine.

10. Blood tests - If you are above 30 and have blood pressure, get a blood test done to determine cholesterol levels, every three months. If healthy, go for a test every two years.