The Top 5 Foods to Include In Your Diet To Lower Cholesterol
Health and Fitness March 9th, 2009Bringing your cholesterol numbers down to a healthy level will protect your heart and help keep you off prescription medicines. Eat the following foods to maximize the benefit of your daily eating plan. Oatmeal and oat bran, walnuts and almonds, fish and omega-3 fatty acids, olive oil and foods fortified with plant sterols or stanols are the top five food choices. Consider these five foods that reduce cholesterol as a critical part of your efforts to reduce cholesterol.
Fish
In your low cholesterol, doctors endorse eating seafood at least twice a week. Omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial for cholesterol-lowering and it reduces blood pressure and the risk of blood clots. Herring, mackerel, lake trout, tuna , sardines, and salmon contain highest concentration of omega-3 fatty acids. Baking or grilling fish is the healthiest way to maintain its heart benefits. If you do not like fish, omega-3 fatty acids are contained in ground flaxseed or canola oil which can be included as replacements for fish in your cholesterol lowering diet. You can eat lean meat or vegetables instead of fish because you will not get all the nutrients of fish in oil.
Oatmeal and Oat Bran
In your cholesterol lowering diet you must include soluble fiber because it slows the absorption of cholesterol in your intestines. Soluble fiber is a powerful component found in oatmeal and other foods that reduce cholesterol like kidney beans, apples, pears, barley and prunes. Including just 10 grams of soluble fiber in your daily menu can lower dangerous LDL cholesterol levels. Adding fruit makes it better.
Olive Oil
Adding olive oil to your diet to lower cholesterol is very beneficial for the blood vesselsheart. Olive oil makes an excellent substitute for butter whether you are cooking meat, frying vegetables, making marinade or creating a salad dressing by mixing it with vinegar. Extra-virgin olive oil is since it contains heart-healthy antioxidants.
Nuts
Walnuts have been proven to reduce cholesterol levels when added to any cholesterol lowering diet. Since walnuts are high in polyunsaturated fatty acids, blood vessels remain healthy and elastic. Almonds are another excellent source of polyunsaturated fats that protect your heart. Of course, thes types of nuts are very high in calories, so don’t eat large quantities on a regular basis. You do not want to gain weight and so substitute the saturated fat with nuts in your salad instead of cheese, meat or croutons.
Foods Having Plant Sterols
Sterols are constituents in plants that tend to block the absorption of cholesterol molecules in the digestive tract. Add margarines, orange juice and yogurt drinks fortified with plant sterols to your diet to lower cholesterol. Just 2 grams daily are helpful in adjusting your cholesterol numbers.
Lastly, when you modify your cholesterol lowering diet, you must cut down on fatty foods which damage your body. These foods are a simple and effective way to control your cholesterol and become a healthier person.
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