People who have high cholesterol levels are at a higher risk of having heart diseases. However, it is always in a person’s hand to maintain a healthy outlook. The bad or LDL cholesterol can always be lowered while the good or HDL cholesterol can be raised. This can be done by adopting the few measures listed below:

Reduce intake of trans fats
Consumption of trans fats increase your LDL level and lower the HDL. This also increases the chances of a person suffering from stroke and other heart complications. Fried food and baked goods contain a fair amount of LDL. You can certainly attain a lower LDL cholesterol level by avoiding these food items.

Lose the extra pounds
People who tend to be overweight have a lot of bad or LDL cholesterol. Having a balanced diet rich in fiber will help a person reduce weight and attain a lower LDL cholesterol level.

Exercise regularly
People who exercise for the duration of 2 to 2.5 hours in a week tend to raise their HDL and lower LDL cholesterol levels. For people who have never tried this option beginning with a mild exercise schedule of 10 minutes can bring a viable change in their body. The duration of exercise can be slowly increased, and this will help them to attain a lower LDL cholesterol level.

Take fiber-rich diet
If a person has higher cholesterol level, it is advised that they include food items like apples, beans and soluble fiber in their food. People who tend to consume up to 10 grams of this healthy food than other people lower their LDL cholesterol levels.

Moreover, if a person includes more fiber in the diet it will make them feel fuller, and they will have less craving for snacks and other junk food. However, it is advised that a person should go slowly when consuming fibers as taking an excess of fiber can result in abdominal cramp formation.

Include fish in the diet
People who eat fish should try to include it two to four times in their diet during the week. Fish is a rich source of omega-3 fats and is considered a healthy food for the heart. Additionally, if a person replaces the red meat with fish in the diet, it will lower the cholesterol level by reducing the saturated fats in the diet.

However, the fish to lower LDL cholesterol levels should be chosen carefully as fish species like swordfish and shark have a high proportion of mercury within them. You can opt for wild salmon and tuna.

Consume olive oil
If you substitute butter with olive oil, it will lower LDL cholesterol level by around 15%. Moreover, olive oil has some good fats which will benefit the heart of a person. You should consume extra virgin olive oil as it is less processed in comparison and has more antioxidants, which eventually help in the prevention of various diseases.

Take nuts
Consumption of nuts on a regular basis also helps in lowering bad or LDL cholesterol. Nuts are a rich source of sterol and help in lowering the LDL levels in human body.

Spend time with your family and friends
Stress also has a detrimental effect on human health. People who tend to remain stressed usually have a higher proportion of bad cholesterol. If you spend time with family and friends and chill out often, the proportion of good or HDL cholesterol will definitely go up.

Add spices to your food
Having a spicy diet also lowers LDL cholesterol. Add spices like garlic, ginger and black cinnamon in the diet and you will not only be able to relish tasty food but will in all probability increases the composition of good or HDL cholesterol.

People who include one clove of garlic in a day in their diet lower their LDL cholesterol by around 9%. Moreover, by adding extra seasoning in the food, the appetite is also reduced, and the person will be able to shed off some extra pounds.

Quit smoking
People who tend to smoke often have a higher bad or LDL cholesterol in comparison to those who do not smoke. People who quit smoking tend to increase the proportion of good cholesterol or HDL by around 5% in one year time only.

People who remain in the company of smokers also tend to increase their bad or LDL cholesterol since they become passive smokers. The ideal tendency should be to remain away from smokers for such people or advise them to quit smoking altogether since it will lower their bad or LDL cholesterol level.

Laugh more often
Laughter is known to increase good or HDL levels. Laugh a lot, and your bad or LDL levels are sure to reduce.

So, follow these simple tips and lower LDL cholesterol quickly.