› Weight Loss on a Budget › Nutrition & Dieting Recipes › Cholesterol-Reducing Foods
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November 18, 2008 at 1:05 am #266775
rtebalt
By Dustin Driver
When you have high cholesterol, everybody’s always telling you what you can’t eat. You’re told that all the things that really make a meal worthwhile — such as bacon, butter, red meat, sausage, and puff pastry — are strictly off-limits. You’re left with sprouts, spinach and whole-wheat toast. But don’t despair: Some tasty and decadent foods can actually lower your cholesterol levels.
cholesterol basics
There are two kinds of cholesterol: low-density lipoprotein (ldl) and high-density lipoprotein (hdl). ldl is known as “bad” cholesterol because it clumps in the arteries and blocks blood flow. hdl is called “good” cholesterol because it tends to scrape the ldl off the artery walls as it passes through your bloodstream.this means that high hdl levels are an asset, while high ldl levels are a problem.
the following foods have been shown to either lower ldl or raise hdl cholesterol levels.
the foods
nutsstudies have shown that one-third of a cup of walnuts is enough to make a big difference, lowering ldl cholesterol levels by as much as 12%.
Oatmeal
If you get sick of oatmeal, there are plenty of other options: Kidney beans, Brussels sprouts, apples, pears, barley, and prunes contain tons of soluble fiber. Try to get about 10 grams of the stuff a day; it’ll decrease your LDL levels by about 5%.
Fish
Eskimos have great hearts — literally. Eskimos in Greenland have a lower rate of heart disease than others on the frozen island. Why?Mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna, and salmon have the highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids.
Try to get about three servings of fish a week. If you happen to hate fish, try adding some flaxseed, walnuts, canola oil or soybean oil to your diet. All are high in omega-3 fatty acids and can be mixed into dishes without imparting big flavors.
They don’t sound particularly appetizing, but plant sterols and stanols can significantly lower your cholesterol. Like soluble fiber, sterols and stanols wrap themselves around cholesterol while it’s in your intestines. They do a really good job of it, too: Products with sterols in them can reduce your cholesterol level by as much as 10%.So, where can you find sterols and stanols? Oddly enough, you can find them in fortified orange juice. Several new juices are loaded with sterols.
Just look for them on the label. For the best results, try to get about two grams of sterols a day, which turns out to be about one glass of orange juice.
Who needs an excuse to chow down on baked beans? Just as long as you leave the ham hawks out of the mix, beans — lima, kidney, black, lentils, and other dried beans — are very high in soluble fiber. And soluble fiber, you’ll remember, blocks cholesterol before you can absorb it.Just half a cup of beans a day has been shown to reduce cholesterol.
Fruits and veggies
It’s always a good idea to eat lots of fruits and vegetables. When you have high cholesterol, however, it’s doubly important to eat several servings a day. Fruits and veggies have lots of soluble fiber, so eat at least five servings a day for ultimate benefits.eat your heart out:
If you’ve led a life of dietary debauchery, don’t expect these foods to cure your cholesterol problems overnight. They’ll help, but you’ll need to get more exercise and relaxation, and you’ll have to cut back on high-fat foods to really make a difference. If you do all these things, there’s a good chance you’ll lower your risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke.
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› Weight Loss on a Budget › Nutrition & Dieting Recipes › Cholesterol-Reducing Foods