Food Fight: Give Cholesterol an Upper-Cut! Round Three

So here it is, what you've all been waiting for. The list of foods that will naturally lower cholesterol!

Well, maybe not so much as a list as the cliff notes version.

The American Heart Association recommends eating at least two servings of fish a week to increase levels of Omega-3 fatty acids, which can reduce inflammation, lower triglycerides, reduce blood pressure and the risk of developing blood clots. Fish that contain the highest levels of Omega-3 fatty acids are mackerel, herring, sardines, albacore tuna, salmon and halibut. Be careful to make sure that your fish isn't farm raised, which will contain higher Omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids can also be found in supplement form, fish oils, and foods such as walnuts and avocados. Many seeds also contain high Omega-3's including pumpkin, chia, flax and hemp.

Just like the commercial says, oatmeal can help lower cholesterol but please put down that box of processed Cheerios and opt for the real stuff! Oatmeal contains soluble fiber, which can reduce the absorption of cholesterol into your blood stream. If you don't care for a bowl of mush for breakfast, make your own granola or grind it up and use as a replacement flour in recipes. Other sources of soluble fiber are apples, pears, barley and beans, such as kidney, black, lima and garbanzo. Hummus, anyone? Most vegetables are also high in fiber including peas, broccoli, brussels sprouts, artichokes, eggplant and okra.

 

Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps reduce inflammation, which will decrease the amount of cholesterol needed and therefore produced by your body. Sources of vitamin C include oranges, grapefruit, lemons, limes, kiwi, papaya, strawberries, pineapple, cantaloupe, red and green peppers, sweet potatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and kale. Blueberries are also very high in antioxidants and fiber.

Magnesium is one of the six essential minerals that must be supplied through diet and acts as a natural statin to help moderate cholesterol production in the body. Some foods high in magnesium are kelp, wheat bran, wheat germ, almonds, cashews, molasses, brewer's yeast, buckwheat, brazil nuts, filberts, peanuts, millet, pecans, rye, tofu and dark chocolate.

 

But wait... there's more! There is so much more information I have to share about how to lower cholesterol that it's going to take another post. Find out the best oils to use in cooking, the best cheese to eat and whether or not you can go ahead and have that glass of wine....