Eat Your Way to Naturally Lower Cholesterol

By HelloLife

With new trends and fad diets changing, on what seems to be like a daily basis, it is a difficult task to make truly informed decisions when you are at the grocery store. Should you cut all fat and only eat proteins? Or is it more important to each organic, and vitamin enriching foods? The options you have in maintaining a healthy cholesterol level may seem confusing, but it doesn't have to be! It is a well known fact that heart disease is the number one killer in America and millions are battling their negative cholesterol numbers. Over 105 million Americans have high levels of cholesterol, and 48 million of those are dangerously high. Choosing foods to optimize your success in this mission is vital. Listed below are several simple rules to follow that will make getting your body healthy that much easier.

Rule #1: Cut the Fat

Cutting harmful fat from your diet has been a staple for years among recommendations made by the American Heart Society. You may be wondering what are harmful fat opposed to healthy fats? The "bad fats" include saturated, animal and dairy fats. Saturated fats are found in high levels in animal products. These are fats that are commonly found in baked goods, will negatively "affect blood cholesterol levels to a greater degree" says Dr. Roger Blumenthal, a director of John Hopkins Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease. Fat in meats can be harmful, and you can avoid these by choosing leaner cuts at the butcher. Low fat options make it easy to avoid fats in dairy products, so be sure to choose appropriately. Healthy fats include those such as Omega-3 Fatty Acids. These fats can be found in salmon and other fish, as well as things like flax seed which is a excellent source. Simply following this rule will decrease your high cholesterol significantly.

Rule #2: Eggs, To Eat or Not to Eat?

Many disagree when debating whether or not eggs are healthy for those with high cholesterol. The reason for this debate is largely because two third milliliters of an egg contains cholesterol. People who already have high cholesterol should be consuming around 200 milliliters per day. If you are an egg lover, eating an egg should be okay if you make sure not much else with cholesterol is eaten in the same day. A healthy alternative is egg whites. Egg whites contain significantly less cholesterol and may satisfy your craving for eggs.

Rule #3: Eat Your Veggies & Other Tips

You can never go wrong with fruits and vegetables. All vegetables and fruits contain high levels of beneficial antioxidants and have virtually no cholesterol. Foods high in fiber are always a great choice as well because they decrease LDL levels naturally. When it comes to butters and margarines try opting to use canola oil when cooking instead, or choose soft tub packaged butters instead of solid ones. Soft margarines have been shown to lower trans fat levels. Getting plenty of vitamins and minerals is important as well. In addition, many people choose to take a natural supplement to avoid prescription drugs and their side effects.

Choose Wisely

In the end it is up to you to make the best choice for your health. Making just a few of these changes in your diet can make all the difference in your cholesterol levels. Along with exercises like walking, jogging or swimming you will have lower cholesterol before you know it!

Photo Credit: Cali2Okie