Worried on how to reduce high cholesterol??
Browsing sites to choose foods helps to reduce/ control cholesterol??
My DH has high cholesterol...so I have gone through all the above stages and still looking for more and more information.
Here is the simple rule that we found that helps to easily choose foods that have less chances to elevate cholesterol levels....
Just go through Nutritional facts printed on food items.
Two things that you need to consider before you go for an item ..
1) It should have 0% saturated fat and trans fat
2) High fiber content
Basic facts on fats-Not all fats are bad to health.
Types of Fats-
- Saturated Fat- It increases blood cholesterol levels, especially bad cholesterol(LDL).
Saturated fats are typically found in tropical oils and animal fats.
- Unsaturated Fat(mono and poly) - It may increase good cholesterol(HDL)
- Trans Fat- It increases bad cholesterol. Hydrogenated oils have high amounts of trans fat.
So AVOID ITEMS that have trans and saturated fat.
Fiber-Food high in fibers help to reduce cholesterol.
So go for food items that are good in dietary fiber.This can be found under carbohydrates section.
These soluble dietary fiber are found in fresh fruits, vegetables and legumes .
In general, considering the above facts..some of the top heart healthy foods are-Avocado, flax seed oil (available in capsules), Oatmeal, Olives, sprouts, soya beans, black or kidney beans, walnuts, peanuts, almonds, fresh fruits(in particular..apple and orange) and vegetables, brown rice, red wine.
Some tips-1)Use skimmed milk, fat free yogurt(curd) and in particular we prefer pro biotic yogurt.. it is good for digestion and improves immunity.
2) Try to avoid oily items and if required use fat free oils(like pam spray) and olive oil.
3) Avoid animal fats..(except salmon fish. It is high in Omega-3 fatty acids)
4) Use whole grain wheat or rice(brown rice).
Hey btw do exercise daily. Just the diet wont help to reduce high cholesterol.
I hope the above stuff will help you out to stay healthy :)
