How to lower your cholesterol effectively?
Quick tips (and tricks) on how to lower your bad cholesterol & increase your good cholesterol EFFECTIVELY !!! 3. READ the nutrition label when you buy chips and canned goods - AVOID FOODS WITH THE WORDS " HYDROGENATED" & "SHORTENING" they contain saturated fat.
1. Exercise 30 min- 1 hour 3-5x per week.
2. Eat SMART, heres a quick list for you to bring during your next trip to your grocer
4. TARGET 0 TRANS FAT IN EVERYTHING YOU EAT ( again read the nutrition label).
5. BOIL, BAKE or GRILL your food rather than frying.
6. EAT FRUITS/VEGETABLE 5x/day ( e.g. 1 serving of fruit for every meal, 1 vegetable dish for lunch and dinner)
Monitor your cholesterol at least every year...if you have elevated cholesterol already make it every 3 months.
Remember keep your LDL(bad cholesterol) down (70-130) and keep your good cholesterol (HDL) up (> 40 mg/dl).
Who needs screening for diabetes?
Will exercise decrease my blood pressure?
What lab exams to request for initial evaluation of hypertension?
What is “LIFE AT 80” and the “WATCH YOUR HEALTH MOVEMENT” ?
Since my father started the “WATCH YOUR HEALTH MOVEMENT” in the early 70’s Alviar laboratory has become the leader in quality yet affordable health care. Our medical mission team went to far-flung provinces providing complete lab testing at a fraction of a cost. But the question remains- "What does the majority do with their lab exams?"
Through the years what i have observed is that patients' get tested, they get their results, however they usually lack follow up.Is this a cultural thing? We Filipinos are quite submissive in nature - MAHIYAIN - we don't dare... or we are AFRAID TO ASK QUESTIONS. Most of the time we take the authorities words “hook line and sinker”. How many times we would like to ask questions in our classroom but we failed to do so? How many times we would like to voice an opinion but chose to remain silent? How many times we were confined in a hospital, treated accordingly, given our medications and was sent home - yet we are clueless of the nature of our confinement - BECAUSE WE DID NOT ASK.
But times do change and patients are now more inquisitive then ever- and that is a welcome treat. I personally believe that PATIENT EDUCATION is the key in preventive health care. Knowing the numbers ( your cholesterol level) is just half the battle, knowing your risk factors, the importance in modifying these risk factors (smoking, obesity) and knowing how to prevent a certain disease is the surest way of living long and healthy.
There is an old adage wherein it says, “ An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure” this saying has become more relevant in this day and age. My father started the LIFE AT 80/ ALAGA CARD discount system wherein patients get 50% off on their lab exams, it is transferable to immediate families and it has a one-year expiration date. This system was instituted in order to encourage patients to monitor their health and to have their love ones checked. Again, knowing your cholesterol, creatinine, and FBS level is half the battle… EDUCATION ON HOW TO PREVENT DISEASES IS THE KEY TO GOOD HEALTH.
Let this forum be a venue for patients to ask. Ask any questions you like whether it is an exam, a clinical condition or a medication and I will try to answer it. This is Dr. Ted Alviar at your service and may my dad’s legacy continue.May the spirit of service lives on through our mission and through our advocacy of reaching out and educating patients.
Submit your question in English or Filipino to drted@alviarmedical.com
