Sunday, December 4, 2011

Cholesterol and Diabetes

By Robbie Bainer


As a diabetic, you begin to learn that all of the things you do in your life will impact your health in some way - for better or for worse. While you already know you need to watch your blood sugar, what you might not realize is that diabetics are at a greater risk of heart issues as well. To ensure your heart stays healthy, you may want to learn how to reduce your cholesterol levels naturally. Not only will these steps help you protect your heart, but they will also help decrease your risk of adding a cholesterol reducing medication to your daily life.

* Develop an exercise routine - A daily exercise routine of even 30 minutes will get your body moving, your blood flowing and help you reduce your cholesterol levels.

* Include more fiber in your meals - As a person with diabetes you are probably aware that you can achieve better control over your bloods sugar levels by eating more fiber. However, did you know that it also helps decrease your bad cholesterol number? The recommended daily amount of fiber is approximately 25 grams for women and 30 grams for men.

* Add essential fatty acids - Fish and fish oils can also help your body process cholesterol more effectively, while also strengthening your overall health. You can take supplements or add salmon and tuna to your diet several times a week.

* Cut out saturated fats - It's always a good idea to cut out as many saturated fats as you can when you are trying to regulate your cholesterol. Take time to read the labels of the foods you eat to make sure that you are reducing this number of fat grams to no more than 10 a day. It can also help to choose fat-free and low-fat dairy and meat products to instantly lower your saturated fat intake.

* Vegetarian - A natural way to lower your cholesterol and lower your blood sugar levels may be to become a vegetarian. Vegetables are low in carbs which is great for a person with diabetes. And of course, they do not contain any saturated fats, which will decrease your bad cholesterol. Try eating a vegetarian diet for 3 to 6 months and see how you feel.

* Quit smoking - A person with diabetes and high cholesterol should do their best to eliminate other things in their life that contribute to an unhealthy body. One of the first things they should work on is to quit smoking. Speak to your doctor about all of the options out there to help you quit smoking.

Yes, it is easy to take multiple medications on a daily basis to lower your blood sugar and lower your cholesterol, but the long term affects on your health should make you think twice. Why not work on naturally lowering your cholesterol by trying to make the changes shown above? As with any significant change, monitor your progress over several months to see if your cholesterol levels drop. Also, you may find that once you are able to stabilize your blood sugar numbers your cholesterol numbers will naturally return to normal levels as well.




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