2972: Lowering Cholesterol Naturally Through Diet and Exercise

[00:00:00] Kennt ihr auch diesen einen Freund, der morgens einfach so ruckzuck aus dem Bett und danach aus dem Grinsen gar nicht mehr rauskommt? Der sogar noch vor dem ersten Kaffee unverschämt gut gelaunt ist und mit der Morgensonne um die Wette strahlt? Furchtbar, ekelhaft, wie kann man nur so... Ausgeruht sein? Ganz einfach, trainiere deinen Schlaf und werde auch du zum Morgenmenschen. Mit der Galaxy Watch 7 oder dem Galaxy Ring und der Samsung Health App.

[00:00:24] Hey Sandra, wir haben uns ja lange nicht mehr gesehen. Grüß dich Nadine! Mensch, du siehst ja toll aus! Ja danke, ich habe mein Plus fürs gesündere Ich entdeckt. Was? Komm, ich zeig's dir! Die Bewegungskurse der AOK Plus. Kostenfrei für AOK Plus Versicherte. Entdecke dein Plus fürs gesündere Ich und starte mit unserem Selfcheck. Ganz einfach online auf aok.de. Aus Liebe zur Gesundheit. AOK Plus.

[00:00:55] It's another Q&A edition of Optimal Health Daily. And I'm Dr. Neil Malek. Hey there, a very happy Friday to you. Welcome to another Q&A edition of Optimal Health Daily, where I answer your health questions related to fitness, diet and nutrition, and lots more. You send me the questions and I answer them for you. Alright, let's hear today's question as we optimize your life.

[00:01:21] Hi, good afternoon. My name is Omar Khan. I recently went to the doctor's office and some blood work and came back with the fact that I have average to high cholesterol.

[00:01:36] Just wanted to know if you could please explain cholesterol and how cholesterol compares to overall health and how can one reduce one's cholesterol through their diet and exercise. I mean, does eating foods high in cholesterol, high in certain fats correlate to one having high cholesterol or not so much?

[00:02:01] Thank you for your question, Omar. The timing of your question is perfect. Just this past week, I was teaching my students about this very topic. So, much of this is fresh in my mind, which is great. So, let's get right to it. Cholesterol is actually made naturally by the body. And as your doctor mentioned, we can get it from foods too. So, how is that possible? Well, about 75% of the cholesterol we find in our bloodstream right now came from the liver.

[00:02:26] Now, this is actually a good thing. You may wonder how it's possible that cholesterol can be good for us at all. But without getting too scientific, cholesterol actually acts as a transporter in the body. You remember that Jason Statham movie, The Transporter? Now, the film's title makes it painfully obvious, but Statham's character was hired to transport precious cargo from one mobster to another. Well, imagine cholesterol is your personal transporter. The precious cargo in this case? Fat.

[00:02:56] So, we need cholesterol to transport fat around the body, and in some cases, out of the body. Using the Statham transporter analogy, cholesterol grabs onto fat, sticks it in its trunk, and moves it along the highway that is our bloodstream. So, this is why the liver has to make cholesterol, to support this very natural function. So, while cholesterol does have a specific and very useful function in the body, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing.

[00:03:24] I said that about 75% of the cholesterol floating around in the bloodstream right now was made by your liver. The other 25% comes from the diet. Now, where in the diet specifically does cholesterol come from? Think of it this way. Anytime you eat something that had a liver, think cows, pigs, chickens and their eggs, fish, lizards, basically other animals, you're going to get some cholesterol. That's because their livers make it, too.

[00:03:52] But the question is, does eating cholesterol actually raise our blood cholesterol levels? The American Heart Association used to think so, but recently, they changed their mind. The recommendation used to go something like this. Don't consume any more than 300 milligrams of dietary cholesterol each day. But now, it seems that the cholesterol you get from food may not actually raise blood cholesterol levels as much as we once thought.

[00:04:20] Other factors instead seem to be more important. What complicates things a bit is the fact that there are different types of cholesterol in the bloodstream. We've learned that some types of cholesterol are more harmful than others. The ones we know are most harmful are the ones labeled LDL or VLDL. An easy way to remember this is to think of the L in LDL, referring to lousy or lethal cholesterol.

[00:04:47] You actually don't get this lousy or lethal cholesterol from your diet. Instead, our body makes LDL when we eat certain types of fat. Remember, cholesterol's role in the body is to act like Jason Statham and transport fat. So, what happens is this. When you eat certain types of fat, the liver says, Hey, we need more Jason Stathams to transport this fat around. So, it makes more transporters.

[00:05:13] Unfortunately, it makes more lousy or lethal transporters, LDL cholesterol, to do the job. So, what types of fat cause the liver to make more of this lethal transporter? Saturated and trans fats specifically. Saturated fat is commonly found in animal products, particularly red meat. So, most animal products have both cholesterol and are a source of saturated fat.

[00:05:39] Trans fat is still found in some processed or boxed foods, particularly cakes, cookies, and crackers. Okay, so I've been spending a lot of time talking about the lousy or lethal LDL cholesterol. But we have another type of cholesterol in the body, HDL. So, if it helps you, think of the H in HDL referring to happy or healthy cholesterol. All health professionals will tell you that you want more HDL in the body.

[00:06:06] This is because HDL helps our bodies get rid of too much of the lousy or lethal LDL cholesterol. So, HDL is also a transporter, but of the lousy, lethal LDL specifically. HDL sends that LDL out of the body. So, what can you do from a diet and lifestyle perspective to lower your lousy or lethal LDL cholesterol? Luckily, there are ways. Here are my tips.

[00:06:32] 1. Be sure you're eating at least 25 grams of dietary fiber each day. Now, you may wonder, what does fiber have to do with cholesterol? Well, what we've learned is fiber is like HDL's sidekick. It helps the body get rid of that lousy or lethal LDL cholesterol. So, if you consume at least 25 grams of dietary fiber each day, you're actually helping your body get rid of that bad cholesterol.

[00:06:58] Now, without even trying to track how many grams of dietary fiber you're getting each day to make sure you're meeting your 25 grams, one easy way to make sure is to simply eat a balanced diet. A diet full of oats, whole grains, berries, beans, and nuts will likely get you to that point. Tip number two. Eat more omega-3 fats. These can be found in pretty high quantities in marine fish, like salmon, mackerel, halibut, and trout.

[00:07:27] What's interesting is these types of fats in particular actually help lower LDL cholesterol in the blood. Now, if you're not a fan of any of these fish, consider purchasing a high-quality supplement and, of course, checking with your doctor to be sure it's okay to take these given your health history. He or she can also provide you with the right dosage too. Tip number three. As I mentioned earlier, lower your intakes of saturated and trans fats.

[00:07:54] In the American diet, most sources of saturated fat come from red meat. So those would be things like beef, bacon, pork, which, of course, come from the same animal, game. Those are common types of red meat. And as I mentioned earlier, consuming fewer boxed cakes, cookies, and crackers can help lower the trans fat in your diet. Tip number four. Exercise. Exercise.

[00:08:20] High-intensity activity in particular seems to help increase the happy or healthy HDL levels in the blood, which will then, of course, help remove that lousy or lethal LDL from the bloodstream. Aim for exercising at a high intensity for at least 30 minutes, 3 days a week. Doing this up to 5 days a week is even better. Tip number five. Watch those added sugars. What we've learned is that too many of these added or simple sugars in the diet

[00:08:47] tells the liver to make more LDL transporters in the blood. So if you're a fan of regular sodas, candy, and desserts, think about consuming just a little less each day. Even little changes will start to add up over time. And lastly, tip number six. If you're carrying any excess body weight, losing just five pounds can actually help lower LDL cholesterol levels. It doesn't take much.

[00:09:12] Alright, so the great news is that even if your cholesterol numbers don't look all that good right now, all hope is not lost. There's still plenty of time to keep those cholesterol levels in check. Oikos presents 15 Seconds of Strength. Here we go. Steve's got a trunk full of groceries and no one to help him. Oh, that's tough, Jim. Looks like a five-trip load at least. He grabs the first bag. The second. Bob, it looks like he's trying to do it on one trip. He shimmies the door open, steps over the dog.

[00:09:42] Oh, and he stumbles. Oh, right into the kitchen without missing a beat. Jim, now that's a man who eats his protein-packed oikos. With 15 grams of complete protein in each cup, Oikos Triple Zero can help build strength for every day. Oikos. Stronger makes everything better. The origins of this podcast were once just a dream. That dream turned into the podcast and business you're listening to today. Starting your own business is a dream lots of us share, but too many of us let it remain just a dream.

[00:10:11] Don't hold yourself back thinking, what if I don't have the skills? What if I can't do it alone? Turn those what-ifs into why-nots with Shopify by your side. Shopify powers millions of businesses worldwide and handles 10% of all e-commerce in the U.S., from household names like Mattel to brands just getting started. Build campaigns that reach customers wherever they're scrolling. Plus, Shopify's expertise covers everything.

[00:10:40] Inventory, shipping, returns, and beyond. If you're ready to sell, you're ready for Shopify. Turn those dreams into... And give them the best shot at success with Shopify. Sign up for your $1 per month trial and start selling today at shopify.com slash OHD. Go to shopify.com slash OHD. Shopify.com slash OHD.

[00:11:11] Thank you again for the question, Omar. Now, if you want to get your hands on our Optimal Living Daily Workbook and have your question answered right here on the show, send one in. You can email your question to health at oldpodcast.com. Now, if you want to send one in via audio, just come by oldpodcast.com slash ask to record your question straight from your computer. Or you can do it the old-fashioned way and call in your question.

[00:11:38] The number is country code 1-61-ILOVE-OHD. That's 1-614-568-3643. And that'll do it for another Q&A edition of Optimal Health Daily. Thank you so much for listening every day and all the way through. I hope you have a great start to your weekend. And I'll see you back here tomorrow where your optimal life awaits. I'll see you back in the next video. You but I know that. Let's go.