Foods That Can Help You Lower Your Cholesterol Levels

So today we are talking about cholesterol – something which even people in the weight loss industry do not talk much about. In fact, those in health and fitness talk more about healthy and unhealthy food without thinking about cholesterol at all. This is unfortunate because of how bad “bad” cholesterol can be. This will be the focus of today’s post.

Bad cholesterol nestles stubbornly in the body, and is not easy to remove. If only cholesterol can be passed out or rinsed easily with water, then the fear accompanying its effects will not be gruesome to think about.  The sad thing about bad cholesterol is its presence in the minute-diameter of the veins, where the life-giving blood flows.

Don’t get me wrong – the presence of good cholesterol is important and a key ingredient in our body’s vital processes.  It is the bad cholesterol, which has to be prevented from clogging the arteries.  Usually it takes years of careless consumption of high cholesterol foods to reach the levels that make it difficult to remove.

Despite the lack of association, cholesterol and weight gain do go together. The main reason why is because obese, or even overweight people are prone to having high cholesterol levels.  The main factors affecting the levels are some drugs, hereditary traits and diet. And the unfortunate thing is that the only time people learn that their cholesterol is high is when the get assessed clinically.

Keeping a healthy lifestyle is a must in preventing health trouble in the first place.  While this is commonly said and known, the most practical precaution one can take is to be aware of dietary fat consumption. In the meantime, there are food groups that are helpful in lowering cholesterol levels – especially foods with antioxidants that help prevent the accumulation of bad cholesterol.  Here are some of these helpful foods to consider:

One: Oatmeal

Oatmeal is a nutritious fibre with a reputation for its capability to reduce cholesterol.  This benefit became an important issue based on expert’s studies sometime in 1980’s.  This eventually lost popularity, but became another issue again in 1997 after the Food and Drug Administration informed the public about how it can prevent heart disease if regularly consumed. Apart from oatmeal, fibres such as bran, wheat, brewer’s yeast, breads, rice, beans, legumes and other cereals help boost and improve the level of good cholesterol.

Two: Fruits And Vegetables

Hardly a surprise, right? When it comes to being vitamin-rich and full of antioxidants, fruits and vegetables rank the highest in the food pyramid.  These have cleansing properties and do not contain a trace of fat, particularly citrus fruits rich in vitamin C.  Cucumber, rich in vitamin E, is one of the best antioxidant foods that are good for fighting free-radical elements that can cause different kinds of disease and discomfort in the body.

It is advisable to eat fruits as a whole instead of taking away the skin or turning this into a juice. Studies have shown that eating it the way it is keeps the natural fibers that are good for the person. An apple is just one of many fruits that can be eaten once it has been washed. Cutting some carrot sticks or slicing a few tomatoes then packing it in a plastic container will come in handy as a snack

Three: Fish And Lean Meat

Fish is a bit of a surprise since we often hear that fish contains fat. But truth be told, fish is very low in saturated fat. Lean meats include chicken and turkey without the skin, liver, extra lean beef.  Without the fat, these protein rich foods are important part of low cholesterol diet.

However, do not neglect how they are prepared. An example of good cooking practice is having some fish or chicken thrown into the microwave or having it steamed. Studies have shown that frying using cooking oil also increases the person’s cholesterol level, so cooking it in another manner can reduce this.

Four: Yoghurt

This food is very good in regulating the acids in the stomach which is a good way to balance the digestion of food.  Yogurt is healthy in regulating cholesterol levels because of this quality, while at the same time it is low in fat. What a bonus!

Remember that lowering cholesterol does not happen overnight. By observing a proper diet with exercise, you will be able to lose weight and cut down the cholesterol levels that puts you in potential danger of high blood pressure, a stroke or a heart attack.

Try these:

 

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Also published on Medium.