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Practical Ways to
Lower Your Cholesterol
Article By: Nadia Rodman, RD
How to tell the difference between HDL,
LDL and beat problems.
Cholesterol
is not necessarily a dirty word. As you know, there is good
cholesterol and bad cholesterol. If you, like many, tend to
confuse the two, just think the “H” in HDL stands for healthy.
The other type, LDL, is the bad cholesterol. It is bad to have
elevated LDL cholesterol because it can stick to your arteries and
form plaques that narrow and harden the arteries. This is known as
atherosclerosis, or heart disease.
The
cholesterol content in your body is determined by both your
genetics and your lifestyle. Obviously, we can't go back and
choose different parents, so let's focus on what we can do.
#1-
Cut back on Saturated Fat
You may be surprised to learn that the largest dietary determinant
in your cholesterol level is NOT the actual cholesterol content of
foods. Yes, cholesterol in food contributes, but it comes nowhere
close to the damage that can be done by saturated fat. Saturated
fat comes from animal products, so the largest contributors in the
diet are fatty meats, high fat dairy and fried foods. Here are
some quick tips to cut saturated fat… make a healthy change
today!
-Choose
lean protein: skinless chicken breast, fish, pork loin, beef
tenderloin or sirloin (when you hear “loin” that cut is lean)
-Trim visible fat from the meat: If you see white fat—it is
saturated—trim it.
-Switch to skim or 1 per cent milk and yogurt and choose low-fat
cheeses
-Trade your butter for olive oil or margarine without partially
hydrogenated oils
-Limit fried foods
#2
Shed those extra pounds
The next best way to lower your cholesterol is to lose weight if
you are overweight. Excess calories over time contribute to weight
gain and elevated cholesterol. The most effective way to lose
weight is to combine diet and exercise. Exercise increases your
healthy cholesterol (HDL) and sensible nutrition can help you
reach your goal weight and lower your bad cholesterol (LDL)
without permanent dieting.
#3
Bulk up with fiber
There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble; both have
their benefits. As far as cholesterol is concerned, soluble fibers
are key. They can absorb cholesterol and eliminate it from your
body. The high content of soluble fiber in oatmeal is the reason
the it’s considered a heart healthy food. Peaches, pears, plums,
oranges, apples, mangoes, blackberries, grapefruit, carrots, peas
and broccoli are all excellent sources of soluble fiber.
Most North
Americans fail to reach the recommended 25-35 grams of fiber per
day for health. Reach that healthy mark by eating fruits,
vegetables, legumes and whole grains each day.
#4
Cinnamon
That's right…the spice you have in your cabinet at home can be a
powerful cholesterol fighter. Just add 1 tsp a day to your diet to
lower cholesterol. It can be sprinkled in your oatmeal, on toast,
or added to a smoothie.
Try making
a “cobbler” for breakfast by slicing fresh fruit (pears are
great), topping it with low-fat cottage cheese, cinnamon and a
little crunchy cereal. It makes for a delicious, heart healthy
breakfast or snack.
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to you by Curves ®, the world's leader in women's health
and fitness
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