While there's plenty of medical advice that indicates the statin family of drugs are highly effective in lowering your levels of "bad" cholesterol, there are many people who are seeking alternative non-medical solutions to lowering high cholesterol. These people include the not-so-old who wish to make lifestyle changes rather than face 30 or more years on medications, with the chance of suffering unacceptable side-effects from the statin medications, such as erectile dysfunction in males and abdominal pain and cramps in both sexes.

The long-term use of these drugs could lead to as yet unknown problems. So, eat a healthy diet low in saturated fats and combine this with the following natural health tips.

Natural Tip No 1 - Regular Exercise

Start a program of regular exercise that will lead to achieving a healthy body weight. This means exercising three or four times a week to a level where your heart rate is raised to an acceptable rate for your age. Walking, swimming and cycling are all good activities that don't place unnecessary strain on your body. Be sure to warm up with at least five

minutes of muscle-stretching exercises beforehand. Raised oxygen levels also help your body organs maintain their vitality and firms and tones your muscles.

Natural Tip No 2 - Plan Your Menus

Think about the healthy foods you like and plan your meals a week in advance to coincide with food shopping day. This saves you having to make compromises to your diet that involve the wrong foods. It also means you'll have plenty of low fat products on hand that may be hard to find at the corner store.

Natural Tip No 3 - Smart Cooking Techniques

Avoid cooking techniques such as deep-frying and try to prepare your foods by simmering, dry baking, steaming or using Asian stir-fry techniques. Even microwaving can allow foods to cook in their natural juices and retain their nutrients. And be sure to eat lots of raw foods, especially fruit and vegetables.

Natural Tip No 4 - Take Your Supplements

Supplements such as Omega-3, inositol hexaniacinate, pantethine, and guggulipid can be effective in lowering cholesterol. Supplements for lowering cholesterol should be

used as a part of an overall plan that includes diet and lifestyle changes.

Natural Tip No 5 - Clean Out the System

Try a system cleanout day where you consume only fruit and vegetables. The high water content of fruit and vegetables facilitates the spread of their valuable nutrients through your body and helps flush out the wastes that have built up from eating the wrong foods. This dietary tip may not suit every one, but at least try it and see.

Natural Tip No 6 - Relax

Stress and ill health go hand-in-hand. While you can't and shouldn't eliminate stress you can learn to control it by meditation and relaxation techniques and by regular exercise.

Follow these natural living tips and you should be able to lower your cholesterol. You will certainly be fitter and healthier. If you are currently on prescription drugs, don't stop them without consulting your doctor.

About the author:

Rod Ritchie, is Founder and Editor of the Health Help series of websites. www.lowering-high-cholesterol.com

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