Cholesterol In our body comes from two sources-
1. Diet
2. Indigenously produced by the liver.
While cholesterol serves as a building blocks of cell walls and hormones, the LDL component (The bad cholesterol- as it is termed) if increases above acceptable levels (62-130 mg/dl) causes the narrowing of arteries leading to heart attacks (MI) and strokes (brain attack!). So the conventional approach is to use medicines called statins in all patients who are at risk and also who had an ischaemic attack in the past. Generally they are also advised to consult a diet counselor and to exercise in addition. But, the latter two are taken with skepticism regarding their efficacy in lowering the LDL. Lowering bad cholesterol levels by diets is very much possible. Even for people who are on medicine to lower their cholesterol these diets can work as an adjuvant to their treatment. To start with

• Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables–they are low in calories and fat.
• Try to lower your intake of saturated fats, since consuming foods with these fats could raise your cholesterol levels and place you at a higher risk of acquiring heart disease.
• Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, such as those used in many cakes and pastries contain a particular form of unsaturated fat known as trans-fatty. They raise blood cholesterol levels (including LDL, the bad cholesterol), just like saturated fat.
• Use whole grain foods instead of foods containing refined flour.
• Use low fat or skim dairy products instead of  full-fat dairy. You’ll find that not only does this decrease your risk for heart disease, but it also decrease your waistline.
• Cook with lean meats (chicken) instead of red meat, which is associated with increasing cholesterol levels.
• When cooking with oils, use olive and canola oils, which are particularly high in monounsaturated fats or vegetable oil, which is high in polyunsaturated fats. Unsaturated fats help lower cholesterol levels.

Ayurveda approach
According to Ayurveda, people who are mostly on a rajsik diet (diet rich in saturated fats, includes fried and sweets) and people who don’t include any form of exercise in their routine despite eating rich food tend to have high cholesterol levels.
To lower cholesterol levels and prevent coronary heart disease, Ayurveda recommends the following:
Low Cholesterol friendly food
Watch what you eat. Stick to the kapha-pacifying diet and avoid food high in fat. Do not take cheese or high-fat milk. Reduce consumption of fried food, sweets, ice cream and desserts, and aerated drinks.

Do include onion and garlic in your food. Also take foods that are natural cholesterol busters. These are:
- oatmeal
- quinoa
- Barley
- millet
- apples
- grapefruit
- almonds
- Fenugreek seeds (2 tsf daily pre-soaked in water overnight to be gulped down in the morning)
Exercise, together with a good diet can control cholesterol levels. Try going for walks every day for at least half an hour. Or do something that you enjoy like dancing, swimming and even aerobic exercises for at least three times a week.

·Do some breathing exercise (particularly Kapal Bhati Pranayam) and Yogic asanas for reducing Cholesterol
The following yoga postures are good for maintaining a good cholesterol level: the Sun Salutation, Shoulder Stand, Peacock, Cobra, Spinal Twist, Locust and Lotus pose. (These yoga asans should be done under the supervision of a trained yoga teacher)

Dr. Deepika Malik
Wellness consultant