A Look at Some of the Good Cholesterol Foods
We hear them preached everywhere, every time.. Eat good cholesterol foods and reduce your figures. When it comes to cholesterol, we all know that there are “good” ones and “bad” ones, with HDL being the good type and LDL the bad type. The problem is how to stick with the good one and get rid of the bad one? It’s a rather complicated subject, so let’s start..
Cholesterols are essential to human life, but high levels in the bloodstream are associated with heart disease and stroke. Specifically, high levels of LDL and low levels of HDL are dangerous. LDL becomes hardened and forms plaque that builds up in the arteries, slowing blood flow. HDL has the ability to gather up excessive amounts of LDL and carry it back to the liver.
We don’t exactly eat HDL or LDL, it forms in the body. Some of the foods that we eat do contain cholesterol, such as eggs, dairy and animal fat. Plant oils and fats contain a cholesterol-like substance called phytosterols. They help lower blood cholesterol levels. Saturated and trans-fats contribute to high LDL, as do simple carbohydrates, such as sugar and white flour.
So, good cholesterol foods are plant foods, because they contain phytosterols. Omega3 fats, found in fish and canola oil are beneficial as well.
A good diet for keeping LDL levels low would include lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grain foods, such as oatmeal and fish. Eating a bowl of oatmeal every day has been shown to reduce LDL levels.
When you are cooking or baking, choose olive or canola oil, rather than lard or saturated fat. And, eat some nuts every day. It has been determined that eating certain nuts decreases the heart disease risk. So, you might call these good cholesterol foods; walnuts, almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts, pecans or pistachios. One ounce per day is the recommended intake, unless, of course, you are allergic to nuts.
Another thing you can try is replacing your coffee or soda with green tea. Green tea has many benefits related with health, and one of them is its LDL lowering capability. If you can’t stand the original taste of green tea, don’t use processed sugar. Use honey or raw cane sugar instead.
Try taking lots of different antioxidants in your daily diet. When cholesterol in your body becomes oxidized, they form hard plaques in the arteries, which are very dangerous. Antioxidants such as green tea, vegetables and fruits help preventing this process from happening.
If you can’t stop eating meat or poultry, choose lean cuts. If you can’t stop milk or other dairy products, choose reduced fat products made with skim or low-fat milk.
It’s actually easier to change from bad to good cholesterol foods than you may think. All you need to do is making the right choices.
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Written by Brandon Hearts on December 9th, 2009 with
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