Foods can be separated into two categories: foods that elevate your cholesterol, and foods for lowering cholesterol. There are two standard ways you can lower cholesterol by diet: cut down on foods that increase your LDL or bad cholesterol, and eat foods that reduce LDL.
Foods Lowering Cholesterol (Good Foods)
Many kinds of food are effective in lowering your cholesterol level in several ways. Foods such as oatmeal, beans, barley, etc, contain soluble fiber, which aids in eliminating bad cholesterol from the body. Having beans help you stay full longer – its an awesome food for individuals who want to shed pounds.
Foods rich in polyunsaturated fats reduce your LDL directly. These fats are good fats seen in omega 3 fatty acids from most fishes, and in different kinds of nuts like peanuts, almonds and pistachio.
Other foods that are effective in lowering cholesterol are those with added plant sterols and stanols, which inhibit your bodys absorption of cholesterol. To check out if a product is fortified with these, make sure to check out the label.
Foods that Increase LDL (Bad Foods)
You’ll want to avoid or decrease your intake of these foods because they can increase your bad cholesterol.
Red meat, dairy products, coconut and palm oils all contain saturated fat, which increase your LDL. To maintain a healthy heart, you need to trim down your consumption of these foods. Look for healthier substitutes such as using olive oil rather than coconut and palm oil, and choose lean cuts or cut out the fat before cooking.
Trans fat is another bad fat that elevates your LDL, so you should reduce your ingestion of foods that may contain it. It is recommended that you should not take in an excess of 2 grams of trans fat each day. Foods offered in fast food restaurants and commercially packaged foods usually have this bad fat.
Together with changing your diet, it’s also wise to maintain a healthy weight and strive to do no less than 30 minutes of physical activity every single day to maintain a good cholesterol level. Decreasing or quitting your bad habits like smoking and tobacco use is also helpful in lowering your bad cholesterol. Stress is also an instigator, as those who are stressed are likely to eat more and gain pounds.
Confer with your health care practitioner about various other ways to reduce cholesterol, as well as other foods for lowering cholesterol.