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Foods that Lower Cholesterol
Here
are some good general suggestions for lowering cholesterol:
- Eat
a fiber rich breakfast
such as oatmeal, whole grain muffins, fruit. Read cereal box
nutrition labels to choose one with 5 grams or more of fiber
per serving. Oat bran and rice bran are the most effective.
- Switch
to whole grains.
Choose whole grain breads, crackers, bagels, muffins, waffles,
pancakes.
- Eat
legumes (beans) at least three times a week.
Try bean soup, cold bean salad, hummus sandwiches, black bean
dip, toasted soy beans as snacks. Soy protein is especially
effective, so be sure to include plenty. Even soymilk, tofu
and textured soy protein are good.
- Eat
five servings of fruits and vegetables every day.
One at breakfast, one veggie (e.g. carrot sticks, tomato
slices) and one fruit (e.g. orange sections, apple) at lunch,
and one salad and one cooked vegetable at dinner ... that
makes an easy five!
- Choose
whole fruit, skin included, instead of juice.
Juice is the fruit with all the fiber removed.
- Eat
garlic. Cooked or raw garlic both contain compounds that help lower your
liver's production of cholesterol.
- Other
good foods include raw onion, salmon, olive oil, almonds,
walnuts, avocados (the latter five are all high in fat but most of it is
monounsaturated fat which helps to improve cholesterol).
- Eat
plenty of foods that contain the natural antioxidants,
vitamins C and E:
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Rich
in Vitamin C
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Rich
in Vitamin E
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sweet
red and green peppers
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cantaloupe
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sunflower
seeds
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walnuts
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strawberries
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papaya
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almonds
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peanuts
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oranges
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grapefruit
juice
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wheat
germ
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soybeans
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broccoli
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brussel
sprouts
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wheat
germ oil
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soybean
oil
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- Studies
show that a little bit of wine or beer helps cholesterol
levels. Binge
drinking is not effective, but light to moderate drinking
through the week is.
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