If you have been told by your GP to lower your cholesterol you may have been encouraged to eat foods to help reduce this. Do you know which foods lower cholesterol? I didn’t before I began researching so I hope this helps you.
Why should we lower cholesterol?
Reducing cholesterol becomes ever more important as instances of heart disease, stroke, and deaths from ignoring this problem rise higher and higher.
What we eat is a major factor in how high the cholesterol levels are in our bodies. Fried food, ice cream, chocolate, and other goodies are well-known and obvious causes of high cholesterol.
Let’s look at the positive side of the fight – what we should be eating and drinking in order to live a happy, healthy life and long one.
Foods that lower cholesterol
The foods that lower cholesterol are many. Your family doctor can give you more advice and probably more specific advice for you but these tips should help.
Fruit and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are a major one. At least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day will have a serious impact on lowering cholesterol.
Fruits and vegetables are a great source of what is known as soluble fibre. Soluble fibre is easily broken down when we eat it and becomes a sort of vehicle in our system that grabs and holds onto bad cholesterol and takes it away from us.
When you think of a serving, think of half a cup. Half a cup of berries, apples, oranges, grapefruit, cabbage, sweet potatoes, prunes – any of these, and many, many more.
They will serve you well as a source of soluble fibre and will faithfully chug through your system, cleaning out your veins and arteries so that your blood will flow smoothly and faithfully rather than form into clots and destroy you.
Beans
Beans are another great source of soluble fibre. There are all sorts of beans and all sorts of dishes to make beans out of.
Lima beans and kidney beans, for example, which taste good on their own or make the perfect garnish for a salad, are not only high in soluble fibre, they’re a great source of protein, too, or, in other words, are a great meat-substitute.
It’s important to think of cholesterol-reducing food as something healthy and delicious that’s filling you up, rather than focusing on what you’re missing in the form of desserts and fried foods.
The more you eat these fresh, natural foods, the more your body will desire them. The more it desires them, and the more you satisfy that desire, the more you’re guaranteed to seriously lower your cholesterol levels.
Nuts and dried fruits
It’s important to snack from time to time, and it’s just as important, when the time comes, to have a healthy snack on hand.
Nuts are a good source of healthy fat, but they must be eaten in moderation.
Raisins and other dried fruits are an intelligent option as well.
In these cases, it’s always best to find products low in sugar and salt. That way, even the foods that you snack on between meals will lower your cholesterol level.
Oats
Your mother made you eat oats and porridge for a reason. Oats are one of the best sources of soluble fibre known to man.
Oats are low in fat and high in the sort of carbohydrates that will give you an energy boost and carry you through the morning. And as they carry you through the morning, they are carrying away the fatty substance known as cholesterol from your insides.
In order for oats to be really effective, you’ll have to have at least three servings.
Fish
Substitute fish for chicken or beef as often as possible. Fish also has oils that are beneficial for lowering cholesterol.
Other healthy oils are olive, canola, peanut, and corn oils.
Tips before you change your diet
When starting any new diet, always consult your doctor. He or she will be able to ascertain your cholesterol level and plan with you the best way to go about lowering it.
Lowering your cholesterol can be a fun, exciting, uplifting experience, allowing you to enjoy life as it’s meant to be enjoyed by often partaking in the foods that come straight from the earth.
