How to lower your cholesterol – 5 really handy tips

Brought to you by Benecol

Some great suggestions to get you started

OK, here comes the science bit first... High cholesterol is something you've probably heard of, but you may not necessarily know too much about it. Shockingly, 1 in 10 Irish people actually suffer from the condition, which in turn is one of the main risk factors for Cardiovascular Disease (the most common cause of death in Ireland, accounting for 36% of all deaths). Affecting both men and women, and even people as young as in their 20s and 30s, high cholesterol is way more common than you might think it is. Thankfully though, there are some simple ways in which you can begin to counter the levels of high cholesterol in your body...

Try different ways to cook your food

And no, we don't mean just ask someone else to do it for you. If you do happen to cook meals at home regularly, then you might be a big fan of frying your food, especially when it comes to throwing on some sausages, rashers and a few more sausages while you're at it. Putting the frying pan down though and choosing healthier methods of cooking like steaming, baking and even grilling your food, can all help to make a difference over time. Changes to your lifestyle often work best when they start small, so you'll probably be allowed to sneak yourself a mini-fry every so often. Don't worry though, we won't tell anyone, promise...

Relaaaaaax...

Easier said than done, we know, especially in the middle of a goddamn global pandemic. But with stress levels contributing to cholesterol levels, it's so crucial to switch off and to try and find time for yourself. From simply taking a series of deep breaths to listening to your favourite songs, getting away from the day-to-day can help both your mind and your body.

More active exercise

You've probably heard it a million times before, but even trying to squeeze 30 minutes of physical activity into your day can make a huge difference in your life. In fact, if you can do moderate aerobic activity week-on-week, that regular exercise can really help lower cholesterol and, crucially, all that good exercise can also lead to some great sleep too.

Cholesterol-busting diet...

Did you know... healthy CAN taste good. We know, shock horror. In order to reduce your cholesterol levels, one of the easiest ways to start making progress is to simply get more cholesterol-lowering foods into your everyday diet. Thankfully, you don't have to sacrifice delicious taste in order to improve your diet, especially now that Benecol have launched their brand new soft cheese range in their Garlic, Chives and Original flavours.

The secret ingredient? Plant stanols - you may not have heard of them, but you're going to love them. Naturally occurring in some edible plants, there are loads of them in Benecol's soft cheeses, even contributing to reducing levels of cholesterol in the body in just a few weeks. Heavenly and helpful? Blessed are the cheesemakers.

Laugh more...

We know they say that laughter is the best medicine, but it's true that the endorphins released while laughing can really relieve the tension and stress in your body. The knock-on effect of comic relief-induced de-stressing can then help combat the cholesterol levels in your body . Plus, if you do happen to get a big proper belly laugh out of it, we can even count that as some of your weekly physical exercise, right? Here's something to get you started sure... Clip via Hat Trick For loads more info on Benecol and to take a look at their full healthy-eating product range, simply press HERE, plus you can check them out on Facebook HERE and on Instagram HERE. Plant stand ester has been shown to lower cholesterol. High cholesterol is a risk factor in the development of coronary heart disease. The beneficial effect has been shown with a daily intake of 1.5-3.0g plant stanols.