Reduce Cholesterol By Eating Right
Has your doctor advised you to reduce your cholesterol level?
That is no surprise considering how many people have high
cholesterol these days. To help lower your cholesterol, here are
10 simple tips you can use live a healthier life.
For most health related issues, diet and exercise are two of the
most crucial components. What you eat is critical to lowering
your cholesterol levels, so let's focus on that for now.
One thing you should know is the difference between LDL and HDL
cholesterol. Simply think of HDL as "healthy" and LDL as
"lousy." HDL actually helps carry cholesterol out of your blood
vessels while LDL allows it to deposit inside your artery walls.
The good news is that you can change your cholesterol largely by
changing your eating habits. Let's take a look at some of the
tips you can start applying today:
1. Have a nice sandwich on whole wheat bread or a pita with some
lean turkey and lots of fresh veggies such as lettuce and
tomatoes. Skip the hot dogs, bologna, and salami, and hold the
mayo. All of those things are processed foods that are filled
with fat and cholesterol.
2. Fish such as salmon is good. Look for wild red salmon
varieties, which are very high in Omega-3 fatty acids (good
fat.) Also, flax seed is a good source of Omega-3s.
3. Avoid trans fats! Not only do they raise the lousy LDL
cholesterol, they can also lower your HDL levels! Stay away from
foods like margarine, shortening, and processed foods containing
partially hydrogenated soybean oil. Most products you find in
the grocery stores should have the amount of trans fats
indicated on the nutritional information.
4. Nuts are good for you. Look for walnuts mainly but also try
almonds, macadamia nuts, cashews, and pecans. Nuts are high in
fat, but it's the good kind. (Also, use natural peanut butter
instead of the normal kind which contains unhealthy trans fats.)
5. Cut down on the sweets (desserts) and try to eat only the
healthier ones like angel food cake, graham crackers, Jell-O,
and fat-free frozen yogurt.
6. Eat foods that are high in fiber. For instance, whole wheat
bread, oatmeal, fruits, vegetables, beans, and some cereals are
good. (Look for the boxes that say "may help lower cholesterol.")
7. Use the grill instead of the deep fryer. If you're going to
have steak or burgers, grill them at home and use lean meat.
This practice avoids the grease, is fun, and the meat tastes
great.
8. Watch your salad dressing. Most of them are full of trans
fats and cholesterol. Olive oil is good, and maybe add vinegar
or lemon juice. Also, skip the bacon bits, croutons, and egg
yolks.
9. Go overboard on fruits and vegetables. They contain no
cholesterol and they have lots of nutrients like antioxidants.
Here are some examples: green peas, broccoli, cauliflower,
apples, oranges, mangos, papaya, pineapple, tomato, garlic,
onions, spinach, water chestnuts, bananas, apricots,
blueberries, and kiwi.
10. Avoid fast food like french fries and anything else from the
deep fryer. Those foods will quickly raise your cholesterol so
keep away from the burger joints if you can.
That was easy, wasn't it? Just make some of these changes and
get plenty of exercise like walking, jogging, swimming, or
playing basketball. You will have lower cholesterol in no time!