Exercise cannot fix your poor daily diet

A morning walk and a diet free of fried food may not always be enough to keep cholesterol in check

Many people who exercise regularly are puzzled when their lipid report still shows high cholesterol. Deepti Sharma, fitness expert and director of MultiFit, says that while exercise does the body a lot of good, it cannot undo the small food habits that quietly push the numbers up every day.

Small changes, steady results

Choosing steamed snacks over deep-fried items and keeping evening snacks simple, like roasted chana or fruit, works better in the long run than any strict short-term diet.

The hidden culprits

Many people fall for sugary packaged oats, which add refined carbs, or reuse cooking oil for frying, which builds up harmful compounds and raises bad cholesterol without them realising it. Sharma explains that families frequently overuse ghee and butter while assuming small amounts do not matter over time. Large portions of even healthy foods like paneer or nuts can raise triglycerides, and late dinners or heavy weekend meals also affect how the body handles fats.

What should be on your plate?

Sharma recommends foods rich in soluble fibre, which helps carry cholesterol out of the body. Good daily options include oats, barley, apples, guava, beans, rajma and moong. Healthy fats can come from almonds, walnuts and chia seeds, while whole grains and millets can take the place of refined flour. A guide by the US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute notes that people who increased their daily soluble fibre intake by five to ten grams saw their bad LDL cholesterol drop by about five per cent.