51 Good Ways to Eliminate High Cholesterol

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51 Good Ways to Eliminate High Cholesterol

Everyone needs some cholesterol. But too much cholesterol can be bad for your health and can put you at risk for heart disease. Approximately 1 in 3 Americans (over 100 million) have high cholesterol. This article will help give you some ideas on how to get your cholesterol where it needs to be.

Here are 51 Good Ways to Eliminate High Cholesterol

 

GENERAL INFO

In order for you to start lowering your cholesterol, you first need to understand it. Let’s start with some simple definitions:

  1. HDL

HDL’s, or High Density Lipoproteins, are what’s known as “good cholesterol.” A HDL attaches itself to cholesterol and escorts it through your liver and out your body.

  1. LDL

LDL’s, or Low Density Lipoproteins, are the “bad cholesterol” that we don’t want in our bodies. It’s the LDL’s that clog our arteries and can cause heart disease.

  1. RATIOS

Finding a good balance between HDL’s and LDL’s is very important.

Here’s a table that shows what they should be:

Desirable Borderline Undesirable

HDL Above 45 35-45 Below 35

LDL Below 130 130-160 Above 160

FOOD

Eating the right foods can greatly reduce your cholesterol. This next section will list all sorts of foods that have been proven to greatly reduce cholesterol.

  1. Know Your Oils

There are so many cooking oils out there. Knowing the healthy ones vs. the non-healthy ones can make a big difference in your cholesterol levels.

Here are some good oils:

  • Canola oil
  • Olive oil
  • Grape seed oil
  • Flax seed oil
  1. Dark Chocolate

Surprised? Oh yes, chocolate can actually help reduce your cholesterol. People who eat lots of cocoa powder and dark chocolate have lower levels of bad LDL cholesterol and 4% higher levels of good HDL cholesterol!

  1. Go Nuts

Love nuts? No worries! Nuts (especially almonds and walnuts) are finally off the no-no list. A study found that eating 25 almonds a day for 1 month cut bad LDL cholesterol by 4 percent and raised good HDL cholesterol by 5% (Circulation, Sept 10, 2002).

  1. The Lowdown on Eggs

Through the history of health awareness, a lot of people have had much to say about eggs. Are they good? Are they bad? While eggs are good for you, they do have a lot of cholesterol. Holly McCord, RD

(www.prevention.com) says, “Since one large egg has about 210 mg of cholesterol–almost three-quarters of the 300-mg daily limit set by the American Heart Association (AHA)–you need to pair eggs with low cholesterol foods the rest of the day.”

  1. Poultry

In general, chicken and turkey are low in saturated fat, especially when the skin is removed. This can really reduce your cholesterol, specifically when you’re substituting poultry for red meat.

  1. Menu Smart

These days most restaurants have low cholesterol sections on their menus. If you don’t see one, asks your waitress; it may be on a separate menu. You can also ask for smaller, or appetizer-sizes portions of your order.

  1. Smart Snacking

Don’t be afraid to snack. There are lots of cholesterol friendly snacks out there. Among these are:

  • Graham crackers
  • Rye crisps
  • Soda crackers
  • Melba toast
  • Bagels
  • Fruit
  • English Muffins
  • Cereals
  • Popcorn
  • Pretzels
  1. Smart Desserts

Believe it or not, there are a lot of cholesterol friendly desserts out there.

So before you say no to temptation, consider these:

  • Fruit ices
  • Sherbet
  • Angel food cake
  • Gelatin
  • Frozen yogurt
  1. Fiber

Adding fiber to your diet can help get you cholesterol down. The soluble kind of fiber, like that found in oat bran, is the type of fiber that actually washes away the bad cholesterol that clings to the inner walls of the arteries. Consuming an adequate amount of water-soluble fiber each day may reduce cholesterol levels by up to 20%.

  1. Bean Smart

Beans can help lower your cholesterol. The reason these high-fiber legumes are so effective is because they contain pectin. The more of these beans you can eat, the greater the benefits. Some of these include:

  • Lima beans
  • Kidney beans
  • Navy beans
  • Soybeans
  1. Fish

Eating fish two or three times per week instead of red meat can help lower your cholesterol. Fish has Omega-3 fatty-acids, which WebMD (www.webmd.com) says have been shown to lower triglycerides, a type of fat in the bloodstream. Omega-3 fatty acids may also slow down the growth of plaques in the arteries and reduce inflammation throughout the body.

  1. Breads and Cereals

Homemade baked goods are great at getting your cholesterol numbers where they need to be. Here are some ideas:

  • Whole grain breads
  • Pastas
  • Hominy Grits
  • Rice
  1. Juices

Up your juice intake to lower your cholesterol. Here are some of the best juices to drink:

  • Cranberry
  • Orange
  • Tomato
  1. Milk and Cheese

Eating and drinking the right cheeses and milks can help. Here’s a partial list of some favorites:

  • Skim or 1% milk
  • Non-fat or low-fat yogurt
  • Low-fat cottage cheese
  • Low-fat cheese
  1. Oatmeal

According to Jennifer Moll of about.com, oatmeal lowers cholesterol. The oat fibers mix with cholesterol in the small intestine and carry the cholesterol out of the body instead of it being absorbed into the blood. The Food and Drug Administration is also convinced of this, as oatmeal was the first food to carry the distinction on its label to lower cholesterol levels.

  1. Switch to Tea

According to an article on www.prevention.com, in late 2003, USDA scientists reported that 15 people cut their cholesterol by 7% and their bad LDL cholesterol by 11% after just three weeks of drinking five daily cups of black tea. “A cup or two a day for a longer period should also work,” says Joseph Judd, PhD.

  1. Honey

Get out that sticky stuff! Studies have shown that honey can lower your cholesterol. It slows the oxidation (dangerous plaque deposits in blood vessel walls that can lead to heart attack and stroke) of bad LDL cholesterol in human blood.

  1. Fruits and Vegetables

Make sure and get in five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. It’s easier than you think, and it’s probably the simplest way to lower your cholesterol.

  1. Beware of Trans-Fat Foods

Trans-fat foods are foods with the wrong types of fat in them – the fats that can send your cholesterol levels soaring. Here’s a list of ten bad ones:

  • Cake mixes
  • Cereal bars and energy bars
  • Chips and crackers
  • Dried soups
  • Fast food
  • Frozen entrées
  • Margarine
  • Nondairy creamers and whipped topping
  • Packaged cookies and candy
  • Packaged doughnuts, pies, and cakes
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