The best way to improve our cholesterol numbers is by adopting a healthy diet low in simple sugars, unhealthy fats and cholesterol. Consistently consuming a hearth healthy, nutrient rich diet will help to naturally lower our cholesterol levels, help us lose excess weight and also make us feel great. So once we decide to clean up our diets, what should we be eating? The following is a list of food that helps to naturally lower cholesterol while tasting great!
Oat Bran or Oatmeal Oats contain high amounts of soluble fiber which helps to absorb cholesterol before it enters the bloodstream. Numerous studies have shown that when combined with a healthy diet, oats can help to lower your LDL levels while having no affect at all on your HDL levels. Oats can be eaten as oatmeal flavored with spices or fruits and nuts or you can add your oats to soups, salads, casseroles or sprinkled on fruit or yogurt. You should get around 5-10 grams of soluble fiber every day.
Walnuts-Nuts in general are great for helping to improve your cholesterol levels, but the walnut is the supreme nut. Walnuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids while other nuts are not. Omega-3 fatty acids help to slow down the growth of plaque in the arteries and they help to lower triglyceride levels. Walnuts are very easy to add to your diet, grab a hand full for a snack, or add them to your yogurt, oatmeal, salads or pasta. As healthy as walnuts are, they aren't without calories and you can go overboard if you aren't careful. Add about 2 oz of walnuts to your diet daily.
Fatty fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids are a delicious and healthy addition to any diet. Fish like salmon, herring, sardines, mackerel and trout are packed with omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 acids help to raise HDL levels while lowering triglyceride levels. Enjoy your fish baked or grilled, not breaded and deep fried; deep frying will eliminate the health benefits of fish. Try to get two servings of fish weekly.
Beans are a great cholesterol busting food because they are not only nutritious, but they are also full of soluble fiber. By binding to cholesterol and acids in the intestinal tract, soluble fiber helps to prevent the re-absorption of cholesterol into the bloodstream. Instead the excess cholesterol is eliminated from the body as waste. Now you really can't go wrong with beans. There is a wide variety not only of beans but of ways to serve them that your choices can seem endless.
Avocados are loaded with vitamins A, C, and E and are full of other nutrients like potassium. They contain folate, mono unsaturated fats and antioxidants. Regular consumption of avocados helps us in numerous ways including reducing LDL cholesterol levels while also lowering the triglycerides in the blood.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture scientist has found a compound in blueberries that appears effectively lower LDL cholesterol levels. The compound, known as pterostilbene, appears to have many of the same cholesterol-fighting properties found in the antioxidant resveratrol, which is found naturally in grapes and products like red wine.
Discovering that you have high cholesterol can be a very frightening. One of the first things your physician will do is suggest dietary modifications. Knowing what to eat is only the start, it is up to you to follow through by taking control of your nutritional choices. Enjoy the many foods we have covered in this article as you eliminate foods high in simple sugars, saturated fats and cholesterol from your diet and watch those cholesterol levels improve.
Oat Bran or Oatmeal Oats contain high amounts of soluble fiber which helps to absorb cholesterol before it enters the bloodstream. Numerous studies have shown that when combined with a healthy diet, oats can help to lower your LDL levels while having no affect at all on your HDL levels. Oats can be eaten as oatmeal flavored with spices or fruits and nuts or you can add your oats to soups, salads, casseroles or sprinkled on fruit or yogurt. You should get around 5-10 grams of soluble fiber every day.
Walnuts-Nuts in general are great for helping to improve your cholesterol levels, but the walnut is the supreme nut. Walnuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids while other nuts are not. Omega-3 fatty acids help to slow down the growth of plaque in the arteries and they help to lower triglyceride levels. Walnuts are very easy to add to your diet, grab a hand full for a snack, or add them to your yogurt, oatmeal, salads or pasta. As healthy as walnuts are, they aren't without calories and you can go overboard if you aren't careful. Add about 2 oz of walnuts to your diet daily.
Fatty fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids are a delicious and healthy addition to any diet. Fish like salmon, herring, sardines, mackerel and trout are packed with omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 acids help to raise HDL levels while lowering triglyceride levels. Enjoy your fish baked or grilled, not breaded and deep fried; deep frying will eliminate the health benefits of fish. Try to get two servings of fish weekly.
Beans are a great cholesterol busting food because they are not only nutritious, but they are also full of soluble fiber. By binding to cholesterol and acids in the intestinal tract, soluble fiber helps to prevent the re-absorption of cholesterol into the bloodstream. Instead the excess cholesterol is eliminated from the body as waste. Now you really can't go wrong with beans. There is a wide variety not only of beans but of ways to serve them that your choices can seem endless.
Avocados are loaded with vitamins A, C, and E and are full of other nutrients like potassium. They contain folate, mono unsaturated fats and antioxidants. Regular consumption of avocados helps us in numerous ways including reducing LDL cholesterol levels while also lowering the triglycerides in the blood.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture scientist has found a compound in blueberries that appears effectively lower LDL cholesterol levels. The compound, known as pterostilbene, appears to have many of the same cholesterol-fighting properties found in the antioxidant resveratrol, which is found naturally in grapes and products like red wine.
Discovering that you have high cholesterol can be a very frightening. One of the first things your physician will do is suggest dietary modifications. Knowing what to eat is only the start, it is up to you to follow through by taking control of your nutritional choices. Enjoy the many foods we have covered in this article as you eliminate foods high in simple sugars, saturated fats and cholesterol from your diet and watch those cholesterol levels improve.
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