Cholesterol Reducing Diet

If you want to fight the development of atherosclerosis – a nasty condition that block arteries and inches you closer towards heart disease – then I suggest you start considering a cholesterol reducing diet. I cannot begin to tell you how much of what you eat plays an important role on your cholesterol levels. Even if you have already entered the phase where your arteries are threatened by fatty foods that clog, you can still slow down the rate at which the process becomes worse. And, if you’re really good at watching what you eat, then you can possibly stop or reverse the narrowing of your arteries.

You may ask why sticking to a healthy diet is so important to the physical condition of your heart, but this prevention method is one of the best ways to fight against heart disease, heart attacks, strokes, and a host of other conditions. I know you don’t want to undergo an angioplasty, triple-bypass surgery, or any of the other procedures that involves a doctor performing an operation. This is why I am stressing the significance of eating a diet filled with foods known to reduce cholesterol levels.

Basically, the kind of diet you should follow is one that helps decrease your total and LDL ("bad") cholesterol, lowers blood pressure and blood sugars, and promotes weight loss. Many diets stress staying away from foods that are probably on your list of top ten favorite things to eat. I have found that a much better approach is to concentrate on the foods you should eat (and not what you shouldn’t eat) in order to make this transition much easier. Start off with positive thinking!

In order to get off on the right foot with a cholesterol-lowering diet plan, I have suggested a few tips and suggestions that will make this life saving change a success. They include:

·    Limit Your Consumption of Cholesterol: While this sounds simple enough, this suggestion will ask you to leave behind many of the foods you really enjoy munching on. However, you can substitute the simple carbohydrates (like sugary foods, sweet treats, and the regular Coca Cola) for complex carbs, including whole-wheat pasta, wild rice, and delicious whole-grain bread. Not only will you receive more energy from this change, but also help to lower your cholesterol.

·    Pass the Oatmeal: Oats contain a high amount of a substance called beta-glucan – a soluble fiber that really absorbs cholesterol. To increase the boost of a cholesterol reducing diet that uses oatmeal, I suggest adding things like blueberries, dried cranberries, or cinnamon to boost flavor.

·    Almond Joy: You’re probably hoping that I’m referring to the candy bar, but I’m actually speaking of the two powerful antioxidants found in almonds – flavonoids and vitamin E. It is through these substances that the oxidation of LDL is prevented. When oxidation is allowed to continue, plaque begins to build up in the arteries. When eating or cooking with almonds, remember to select the ones with the skins still attached, as this is where a healthy amount of flavonoids is found. I suggest snacking on one ounce of dry-roasted almonds (without salt) throughout the day.

·    Try Flaxseeds: You may or may not have heard about flaxseed products found on the market, but flaxseeds contain soluble fiber and lignan, which actually blocks the formation of bad cholesterol. I recommend that you embrace flaxseeds in your diet, as they also increase your ability to rid your body of damaging LDL cholesterol in the first place. Eating ground flaxseeds is much better than whole ones because grounded selections boost the rate of absorption. Two tablespoons of ground flaxseeds per day is reasonable. They also blend well in a bowl of oatmeal in the morning.

·    Get Garlic: Vampires are not the only ones afraid of garlic, as eating this item can weaken the liver’s ability to make cholesterol. To let the flavor rise out of garlic, I like to chop small pieces that are added to dishes, such as steamed spinach, mashed potatoes, soups, and wheat pasta.

·    An Apple a Day: How many times have you heard an apple a day keeps the doctor away? It works against plaque buildup in the arteries, as well. The skin and outer flesh of an apple contains polyphenols – powerful antioxidants that fight atherosclerosis.

·    Pile on the Beans: When you eat beans, a unique soluble fiber is released in the colon, which feeds healthy bacteria that form short-chain fatty acids that pay a visit to the liver and help stop the production of LDL cholesterol. ½ cup of legumes per day (like peas, beans, and lentils) come highly recommended for a cholesterol reducing diet.