Low Cholesterol Foods

While there are factors and elements that are outside of your control when it comes to cholesterol levels, there are simple and small lifestyle changes you can make that will make a big difference in the long run. Your diet and the kind of food that you eat, in combination with exercising regularly, play a large role in your levels of cholesterol. No, you don’t have to exercise for several hours seven days a week, and you don’t have to live on scrambled tofu and water, but small changes in what you eat can definitely make a huge difference.

As a rule of thumb, foods that come from animal sources are generally high in cholesterol, and foods that come from plants are more likely to be low cholesterol foods (and in many cases “no” cholesterol foods!)

Changing your lifestyle to incorporate low cholesterol foods can give you a lot more control and lower your risk profile substantially.  Here are some tips to start eating more of the low cholesterol foods.

Eat More High Fiber Foods

Some foods are especially powerful, such as those that are high in soluble fiber. High fiber foods virtually absorb the cholesterol in your blood like a sponge and sweep it off to be eliminated by the body. This is why there are so many jokes about bran muffins and salad ‘scrubbing the walls’.

Fruit and vegetables are especially effective at lowering cholesterol because they are so full of fiber. You get the best results if you eat them raw. If your cholesterol levels are very high then a large proportion of your daily meals should be raw. Eating fruit salads, green salads, and drinking special fruit/vegetable mixtures like V8 Fusion can help you lower your cholesterol and still satisfy your taste buds.

Some high fiber foods that are good for you are -

• Oatmeal is a super low cholesterol food because it is so high in fiber. It is a great option for breakfast. Having a filling breakfast like oatmeal can also help you curb the mid-morning hunger pangs and protect you from binging at lunch time.
• Don’t like oatmeal? Try having cereal made with oat, whole wheat or barley. Some breakfast cereals like Cheerios for example, are made of whole grain oats and hence could lower your cholesterol, and they are really yummy too.
• Fruits such as apples, pears, bananas and prunes are high in fiber. Have them by themselves for breakfast, as a snack, or a dessert after a meal, or mix them in with your breakfast, smoothie or shakes.
• Make sure the carbs in your meals come from whole grains and brown rice. Avoid white rice and anything made from processed or refined flour (like white bread and pasta).
• Add flaxseed powder or unprocessed wheat bran on top of what you eat (e.g., cereal or smoothies) to sneak in a few extra grams of fiber into your daily intake.
• Legumes such as kidney beans, soy beans, lima beans, chickpeas, lentils, etc. are high in soluble fiber and can be incorporated easily into soups, salads, sauces, dips and sides. Try some humus (made with chickpeas) whole wheat pita bread, for example, for a healthy, filling and tasty lunch option.
• Try to have green leafy vegetables at least a few times a week – they are high in fiber, low in fat, low in calorie, high in protein and contain all kind of good stuff such as calcium, vitamins, iron, folates etc. Examples of green leafy vegetables are spinach, broccoli, mustard greens, celery, bok choy, kale, cauliflower, cabbage, lettuce etc.

Replace “Bad” Fat with “Good” Fat

Fats in general are a required part of human diet – they contain essential components that are required for growth, healthy skin and better metabolism. But not all fats are created equal. Understanding what types of fat are bad for you and which are good can go a long way in ensuring a healthy heart.

At the very high level, there are two main types of fats – saturated fats and unsaturated fats. The research so far indicates that saturated fats tend to increase LDL cholesterol levels (ie, the “bad” cholesterol levels) as well as the triglycerides levels significantly, resulting in a higher risk of heart attack and stroke, and hence must be avoided. On the other hand, research suggests that unsaturated fats might actually increase HDL cholesterol levels (ie, the “good” cholesterol levels) and should be consumed (in moderation) by those in the high risk profile to improve their cholesterol ratio.

An easy way to identify the different kinds of fats is – saturated fats are solid at room temperature while unsaturated fats are liquid. Saturated fats are most likely to come for animal sources and unsaturated fats tend to come from plant sources.

There is another form of fat that should be avoided altogether and that is trans fat. Trans fats are actually unsaturated fats, but through a process called hydrogenation liquid fats are converted into solid fats for extended shelf life and extended flavor retention. This is the kind of fats found in a lot of processed and pre-packaged foods and has an extremely bad influence on LDL cholesterol levels.

Some examples of how to incorporate “good” fat in your daily diet are –

• While cooking try to use healthy oils like olive oil, canola oil or sunflower oil which are high in mono-unsaturated fatty acids. Avoid butter and lard.
• Nuts like almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, walnuts, pistachios etc., and seeds like pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds etc., are high in mono-unsaturated fats as well, making them an excellent option for healthy snacking. If you are in the high risk profile, make sure they are unsalted.
• Some fruits and vegetables are packed with mono-unsaturated fats as well. Try adding sun-dried tomatoes to your pasta, and avocados and olives in your salads.
• When you make a PBJ sandwich make sure you use non-hydrogenated peanut butter or other nut butters.
• Try to have baked or grilled fish at least 2-3 times a week. They contain the beneficial Omega-3 fatty acids (a type of poly-unsaturated fats) which are believed to be very good at increasing HDL cholesterol levels. The fish with most Omega-3 fatty acids are salmon, herring, albacore tuna, mackerel, sardines, trout and halibut. In general, it is believed that salt water fish have more Omega-3 than freshwater fish. But watch out – they can contain higher levels of mercury and so try to limit each serving to about 4oz (about the size of a deck of cards).
• If you don’t particularly like fish, you can get omega-3 fatty acids from tofu (or other soybeans products), canola, walnut or flaxseed.
• The cholesterol content in eggs and its impact on heart health is highly controversial.  So, if you love to eat egg and are in a high risk category, then steer clear of egg yolks and still to egg whites.
• Switch to non-fat (skim) milk or low fat (1%) milk and other dairy products since the fats found in milk are primarily saturated fats. Avoid heavy cream and butter.

Summary

So what should you be eating? Here are some guidelines to eating wholesome, low cholesterol foods:

• About nine servings of fresh fruit and vegetables is recommended every day. Another way to look at it, is to ensure that at least half (preferably more) of your meal is made up of fruits and vegetables.
• Your carbohydrate should be wholegrain where possible. Choose brown rice, wholegrain bread and pasta, oatmeal, bulgur, whole rye etc. Try to ensure that at least half of all the carbs you consume is made up of whole grains.
• Reduce or eliminate saturated fats and trans fat in your diet. Food like red meat, processed meat, butter, margarine and lard should be cut out.
• If you really must eat meat then make it lean — skinless, boneless chicken breast is usually the best choice.
• Eat two to three portions of fish every week and try to make one of them oily fish to make sure you get some healthy unsaturated fats.
• Reduce your salt intake to less than 6 mg a day.
• Do not fry your food. Steaming, baking or grilling with healthy oils like olive oil or canola oil is the best way to preserve both taste and nutrition. For the most optimal results, try to eat your fruits and veggies raw.

The lowdown on lowering your cholesterol is this: eating healthy doesn’t mean swallowing sandpaper. You can have your favorite foods and get heart healthy too.