Archive for category Cholesterol
Foods that Lower LDL
Posted by admin in Cholesterol on June 18, 2011
LDL stands for Low Density Lipoprotein which is one of the five groups of lipoproteins, that help in the transportation of lipids like cholesterol and triglycerides within the bloodstream. However, out of all these lipoprotein groups, LDL is considered to be responsible for many cardiovascular diseases and thus known as “bad cholesterol”. In contradiction, HDL or High Density Lipoprotein is known as the “good cholesterol” and is healthy for the body’s metabolism. While flowing through the bloodstream, cholesterol doesn’t mix with water and thus needs help in moving around. HDL comes to the rescue at such times and transports this cholesterol by forming packets of it and moves it to the liver, from where it is flushed out of the body. Whereas LDL deposits this cholesterol onto the vessel walls and causes heart disease and obesity. To help through this situation, there are certain foods that lower LDL cholesterol. Thus, find more information about these foods that lower LDL mentioned in the coming up paragraphs.
Foods that Lower LDL Levels
Your low cholesterol diet is the only way through which maximum amounts of diseases can be fought. Through the consumption of the right foods, you get the required nutrients to carry out metabolic pathways and produce energy as well as strengthen the immune system. Through all this, your body functions properly and battles the various types of infections that attack it. Thus, if you want to know how to decrease LDL if the bad cholesterol in your body has risen out of proportion, there are foods that lower LDL.
These foods also prove healthy because they prevent the body from weight gain and heart problems. Mentioned below are some food choices you can have to reduce your LDL along with regular exercising. There are a number of healthy foods that lower LDL and raise HDL. Instead of sorting to weight loss diets with fake promises, you can simply follow a healthy diet with these foods and exercise regularly to lose weight and stay fit. Take a look at the list of foods that lower LDL mentioned below.
Fruits
Fruits like red grapes, apples and green grapes are very rich in soluble fiber. This soluble fiber helps to draw cholesterol out of the system and doesn’t let the bad cholesterol accumulate in the body. Flavonoids, present in the grapes protect LDL cholesterol from free radical damage and minimize platelet clumping.
Vegetables
Beans and green vegetables also have excellent sources of soluble fiber and protein. By properly combing beans with brown rice, seeds, corn, wheat you can create a complete protein. There is no need for red meat protein to provide the body’s protein requirement as red meat is high in saturated fat (unhealthy fat). It is also found that cinnamon reduces triglyceride and totally helps in LDL cholesterol lowering. Garlic, soy, chillies and eggplant are also rich in soluble fibers to be included in the list of foods that lower LDL cholesterol.
Brown Rice
This food contains a heart-healthy fiber, magnesium and B vitamins which are very good binders and help release the LDL out of the body. There is oil in the whole brown rice which also does this job more finely than its fiber. Read the rest of this entry »
Cholesterol Diet Menu
Posted by admin in Cholesterol on June 18, 2011
A cholesterol diet menu is followed with the objective of lowering cholesterol naturally. It involves including foods that will lower bad cholesterol and excluding foods that contribute to high cholesterol.Cholesterol is a fat-like waxy substance that collects in the human arteries and causes them to thicken or get blocked. This reduces, and can even stop the flow of oxygen carrying blood to the heart. Thus, high cholesterol levels are directly proportional to an increased risk of heart attacks. Cholesterol has two components – LDL (bad cholesterol) which is the main source of cholesterol buildup and blockage in the arteries, and HDL (good cholesterol) which stops the buildup. A low cholesterol diet menu must include all the foods that help lower LDL, and raise HDL. Once you are aware of what these foods are, it will be fairly easy to draw out a cholesterol diet plan. Here are the foods that should be included in a low cholesterol diet.
Cholesterol Diet Food List
Oatmeal and Oat Bran
The reason why oatmeal finds a place on all low cholesterol diets is because it contains soluble fiber, which reduces your low-density lipoprotein (LDL). This kind of soluble fiber is found in fruits such as apples, bananas, blackberries (½ cup), oranges, grapefruit, peaches, pears, plums and prunes (¼ cup). It is also present in black beans, kidney beans, lima beans, navy beans, northern beans, pinto beans and yellow, green and orange lentils. Chick peas, black eyed peas and half a cup of cooked broccoli, brussels sprouts and carrots are also a good source of soluble fiber. About 1 tablespoon of ground Psyllium seeds have a high content of soluble fiber. Whole grains are also good for the heart, so consume whole-grain breads, whole-wheat pasta, whole-wheat flour and brown rice. Controlling high cholesterol with a diet is possible by incorporating all these foods into a low cholesterol diet menu plan. Read more on sample diets for lowering cholesterol.
Nuts
Walnuts are another essential ingredient of any diet to control high cholesterol. They are plentiful in polyunsaturated fatty acids and can significantly reduce cholesterol. They also help keep blood vessels healthy and elastic. Other nuts that appear to have the same effect are almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, some pine nuts and pistachio nuts. However, one must not include more than a handful (1.5 ounces, or 42.5 grams) of nuts per day in their cholesterol lowering diet menu.
Fish and Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Fatty fish have high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which lower cholesterol and also improve heart health by lowering high blood pressure and the risk of blood clots. Include two servings of mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna or salmon in your weekly cholesterol diet chart. However, for it to help in keeping with your low cholesterol diet guidelines, you need to bake or grill it. If you don’t like fish, a substitute source of omega-3 fatty acids is ground flaxseed.
Olive Oil
Olive and canola are the heart healthy oils. Olive oil is rich in antioxidants which can lower “bad” (LDL) cholesterol without affecting “good” (HDL) cholesterol. The recommended amount is about 2 tablespoons (23 grams) a day for maximum benefit. One can use it to substitute their oil they use to cook, add it to a marinade, or drizzle it on a salad. One can use it to saute vegetables, or instead of butter when basting meat. Another recommendation is not to use “light” olive oils.
Foods to be Excluded
Any food that is a source of trans fats needs to be excluded. Thus, fried foods (burgers, fries, chips) and many commercial baked products, such as cookies, crackers and snack cakes are a big no-no. Another factor to be aware of is that in the US, foods containing less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving are labeled “trans fat-free.” To avoid these loopholes, always check the ingredients list. If you find partially hydrogenated oils there, then it needs to go. Other sources laden with cholesterol are organ meats, egg yolks and whole milk products. Read the rest of this entry »