Ten cholesterol lowering food tips

Introduction

Having high levels of cholesterol in the blood may be verydangerous and it may lead to certain severe medical conditions. Luckily enough,there are numerous food items which may be very helpful when it comes toreducing the levels of bad cholesterol in the blood. On the other hand, thereare a large number of people who prefer to rely on statin type of drugs inorder to reduce the high cholesterol levels in the blood. These prescription medicamentsmay be quite risky in some cases. One should stick with natural ways oflowering the cholesterol which should be accompanied by plenty of exercising.Once again the person needs know the difference between the HDL cholesterol andthe LDL cholesterol. The first one is healthy and the human body needs it,while the LDL is the bad cholesterol commonly affiliated with heart diseases.

Tips

One should always use whole wheat bread or pita when makingsandwiches. Vegetables, tuna, chicken or lean turkey may also be used withoutincreasing the levels of cholesterol in the blood. Mayonnaise, salami, bolognaand hot dogs should be avoided.

Avoiding fast foods and all types of fast food restaurantsis highly recommended, even though some of them offer “healthy” choices.

Eating plenty of fish, especially salmon may be of greathelp for all those who wish to keep their levels of cholesterol in the bloodlow. These food items are very rich in the beneficial omega 3 fatty acids.

One should try to incorporate as much fresh fruits andvegetables into the diet as possible. They are all jam packed with nutrientsand antioxidant substances. The best choices include kiwi, blueberries,apricots, bananas, water chestnuts, spinach, onions, garlic, tomato, pineapple,papaya, mangos, oranges, apples, cauliflower, broccoli and green peas.

All different types of food items which contain trans fatsneed to be avoided as much as possible because they are very efficient inincreasing the levels of bad cholesterol in the blood. Such food items include partiallyhydrogenated soybean oil, most processed foods and margarine.

Salads should be dressed only with lemon juice, vinegar orolive oil. All other dressings need to be avoided.

Snacking on various types of nuts is a very healthysuggestion. The best choices may include pecans, cashews, macadamia nuts,almonds and walnuts.

Eating only lean meat is a very important decision.

Desserts need to be reduced to a minimum.

Foods rich in fiber need to be incorporated into the dailydiet as much as possible.