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Your
Food and Your Cholesterol
There’s
no denying that a healthy diet is the first line of defense against
rising cholesterol. “If you eat a predominantly plant-based
diet—with lots of fruits and vegetables plus some fish—you
are on the right track to keeping your cholesterol at a healthy
level,” says Lisa Dorfman, a registered dietitian and spokeswoman
for the American Dietetic Association. That said, certain so-called
super-foods can actually help lower bad cholesterol and/or increase
the good cholesterol. Ideally, you want to shoot for total cholesterol
under 200, with LDL (the bad one) under 110 and HDL (the good one)
greater than 35.
5
Foods That Feed Cholesterol
Whole-milk
dairy products
Saturated fat, which clogs arteries and increases LDL levels, is
the No. 1 cholesterol-boosting culprit. And foods like ice cream
and cheese are where you’re likely to find them. Swap out the
Ben & Jerry’s Chubby Hubby for a lower-fat frozen yogurt,
and skip the brie in favour of something less rich, like a part-skim
mozzarella.
Processed
meats
Bacon, sausage, liverwurst and the like are also wonderful sources
of artery-clogging saturated fat. Look for lower-fat options, like
bacon and sausage made from turkey and other lean protein sources.
Fast-food
fries
Even worse than saturated fats are the dreaded trans fats. “You
might as well take a gun and shoot yourself!” says Dorfman.
The main source of trans fats are partially hydrogenated oils, and
that’s exactly what most fast-food restaurants are still using
to cook their fries. Trans fats hit cholesterol with a double whammy—in
addition to raising your LDL, they simultaneously lower your HDL.
Tropical oils
Palm kernel and coconut oils are two of the fattiest of oils—100
percent of the bad-for-you saturated variety. Don’t use them
when you cook at home, and try to avoid them when you eat out (most
fast-food restaurants have eliminated them, but you can check their
Web sites for detailed nutritional information). Use heart-healthy
mono- and polyunsaturated fats, like olive, canola and safflower
oil, instead.
Baked
goods
Many
manufacturers of packaged cookies and cakes have eliminated trans
fats from their recipes, but check the nutrition labels to be sure.
But all baked goods—even those that are homemade—are high
in saturated fats, thanks to the butter and shortening. Since no
one wants to give up dessert completely, eat high-fat baked goods
only occasionally, opting more often for low-fat sweets like sorbets.
MSN Health & Fitness
5
Foods That Fight Cholesterol
Almonds
Studies have found that eating just a quarter cup of almonds a day
can lower your LDL by 4.4 percent, according to dietitian Leslie
Bonci, who is also the director of sports nutrition at University
of Pittsburgh Medical Center. “Eating nuts, especially almonds,
which are high in good-for-you monounsaturated fat, is better than
simply eating a low-fat snack like pretzels,” says Bonci. Of
course, they can also be high in calories, so stick with a small
serving and choose almonds that are dry roasted without oil.
Oatmeal
You’ve seen the commercials with people proclaiming dramatic
drops in their cholesterol numbers thanks to a daily serving of
this hot cereal. Those great results are due to the high levels
of soluble fiber found in oatmeal. “The soluble fiber binds
to the bile acids that are the precursor to the development of cholesterol
and help flush it out,” explains Bonci. It doesn’t matter
how you get your oats—those instant, just-add-water packets
are just as good for you as traditional, slow-cooked versions.
Fish
Omega-3 fatty acids are widely considered to be the best of the
“good” fats, and the best place to find them is in fish—especially
fatty fishes like salmon, halibut and tuna. According to Dorfman
of the ADA, you want to get 1.5 to 3 grams per day of omega-3. A
4-ounce piece of salmon will give you close to 3 grams, and you
can also get these fatty acids from walnuts and flaxseed (two tablespoons
of flaxseed provides 3.5 grams) and in fish oil supplements.
Red wine
Not everything that’s good for you has to feel virtuous. A
glass of red wine, which contains flavanols, has been shown to have
anti-inflammatory properties that may help lower cholesterol and
stave off heart disease. But in this case, more is definitely not
better. “For women, the recommendation is one drink a day and
for men it’s two,” says Bonci. More than that will, literally,
dilute any potential benefits. These flavanols can also be found
in red grape juice and dark cocoa.
Soy
Soybeans, soy nuts and edamame, plus any products made from soy
(like tofu, soymilk, etc.) can help to reduce the production of
new cholesterol. A little can go a long way—aim for about 25
grams of soy protein a day (the amount in a cup of edamame). And
those who are at an increased risk of breast or prostate cancer
may want to skip it since too much of soy’s phyto-estrogens
can act similarly to the body’s own estrogen (which has been
shown to feed some hormone-dependent tumors).
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