Before you turn away from the snacking food aisle for fear of cholesterol, know that you have options. There are some delicious foods out there that actually help you lower your cholesterol and make you feel better.
According to health.harvard.edu, shifting to a cholesterol-lowering diet takes a special person. It means expanding the variety of foods you usually put in your shopping cart and getting used to new textures and flavors.
A diet that is heavy on fruits, vegetables, beans, and nuts is good for the body in ways beyond lowering cholesterol. It keeps blood pressure in check. It helps arteries stay flexible and responsive. It’s good for bones and digestive health, for vision and mental health.
Here are some food choices that will help lower your cholesterol:
• Oats. An easy first step to improving your cholesterol is having a bowl of oatmeal or cold oat-based cereal like Cheerios for breakfast. It gives you 1 to 2 grams of soluble fiber. Add a banana or some strawberries for another half gram.
• Barley and other whole grains. Like oats and oat bran, barley and other whole grains can help lower the risk of heart disease, mainly via the soluble fiber they deliver.
• Apples, grapes, strawberries, citrus fruits. These fruits are rich in pectin, a type of soluble fiber that lowers low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or the “bad cholesterol”.
• Fatty fish. Eating fish two or three times a week can lower LDL in two ways: by replacing meat, which has LDL-boosting saturated fats, and by delivering LDL-lowering omega-3 fats. Omega-3s reduce triglycerides in the bloodstream and also protect the heart by helping prevent the onset of abnormal heart rhythms.
