Lower Your Cholesterol

I have slightly high cholesterol.  When my doctor told me that a number of years ago, I really took a look at the things that I ate and was surprised to see that I ate very little that was high in cholesterol.  So my problem isn't from the food I eat, it's probably hereditary (thanks, guys).

So since I don't really have high cholesterol foods to cut out of my diet, what can I do?  Well, instead of cutting out foods, I can eat foods that will help to both lower the "bad" cholesterol and raise the "good".

Fiber is a huge factor in fixing cholesterol in your blood.  Oatmeal, apples, kidney beans, barley and prunes are just a few of the foods that are great sources of fiber.  You probably know that lots of other processed foods--breakfast cereal, for example--tout that they're high in fiber.

If you've read this blog for a while, you know that eating fish is a great way to be healthy--including helping your cholesterol.  Those fish high in Omega-3 fatty acids are the best: mackerel, trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna, salmon, halibut.

Nuts are a great (and tasty) way of lowering your cholesterol.  Just eat them in moderation because they're high in calories.

Like nuts, olive oil has calories, but is full of the good fats that can help your cholesterol levels.  Try to switch out olive oil for something else in your diet, so you're not adding calories.

For a lot of great cholesterol information, check out the Guide to Lowering Your Cholesterol with TLC (Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes) from the National Institutes of Health.