When you perform blood tests, you always look for the asterisk in those parameters that may have abnormal levels. And it is normal that your heart sinks if one of those is cholesterol, a fat that the body needs to function correctly and perfectly. Hence, it is favorable to have the so-called ‘good’ cholesterol in the body.
However, increased ‘bad’ cholesterol can lead to an increased chance of heart or stroke disease. At this point, people who have this type of pathology need to reorganize their diet and change their lifestyle habits, but it is also important that they lead a normal life.
There are many questions in this regard, and above all, there is one that is often repeated at blood donation points: can I donate blood if I have high cholesterol? Well, let’s take a closer look to answer this common question. And, in addition, we tell you some healthy habits that can change your life if you suffer from cholesterol. Let’s start!
Donation and high cholesterol
When it comes to donating blood, it is common for thousands and thousands of doubts to arise, especially if you go to a donation post for the first time, or if you have just been informed that you have high cholesterol. Can it be an obstacle to starting or to continue donating? It is crucial to know the conditions and restrictions that may prevent this altruistic gesture from being carried out.
But, in this case, people with high cholesterol are in luck: they can donate with complete peace of mind. This type of pathology is not incompatible with having blood drawn to give it to those who need it most, so you no longer have an excuse to go to a hospital or donation center.
Of course, in this sense, we can find another assumption: people who take medication for cholesterol. As you already know, if you have taken or are taking medication, it is important that you report it in the pre-donation check-up that the doctors will carry out, because this can be an impediment. Although taking medications is not always going to be synonymous with not donating since there are exceptions. One of them is, for example, cholesterol.
Tips to try to reduce high cholesterol
Being able to donate with high cholesterol is good news, because we are talking about giving a little of our blood to three people who might need it, and that saves lives. Even so, it is very important that we focus on reducing that cholesterol with certain habits that, after repeating them for a few weeks, will end up becoming a routine and it will not cost you so much to carry them out.
Increase in fruits and vegetables
Increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables in the diet does not mean always eating them grilled or peeled. If you are not very fond of them, there are many ways to eat them without practically realizing it. You just need to spend some time looking for the recipes that you like the most and preparing them at home. In addition, it is important to include whole grains and foods rich in Omega 3 in your diet.
Change the salt
Eliminating salt from food for someone who is used to taking it is very complicated. Therefore, you must find another way to season the dishes so that they have flavor and you do not find out about the absence of salt, such as certain spices.
Daily exercise
Choose an exercise that relaxes you, such as going for a walk, swimming, or even yoga. The key is to do something you like because, even if it costs you a bit at first, you will end up enjoying that practice more and more.
Eliminate harmful activities for the body
If you know that if you take a nap you will spend the whole afternoon on the couch, choose not to take it and do a different activity. If, for example, sitting on a terrace is synonymous with smoking , choose to sit inside or on terraces where smoking is not allowed. Thus, you will get away from bad habits little by little.
