Foods to Reduce Bad Cholesterol

Foods to Reduce Bad Cholesterol

If you have high cholesterol you have little choice but to try and lower it. Choosing not to do so drastically increases your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke; three medical conditions that can have a major impact on the long term outlook of your life. Fortunately getting your levels under control can be as easy as making dietary changes and eating foods to reduce bad cholesterol.

Diet is always a good place to start with just about any ailment or condition, but when it comes to lowering cholesterol the food you eat can have a large impact on how successful your attempt will be. In the end it comes down to eating healthy by following these eight steps.

1. Seafood and Omega-3s - Omega-3 fatty acids are sorely missing in our modern diet and have been shown to help lower "bad" LDL cholesterol levels while raising "good" HDL cholesterol levels. Omega-3s are found primarily in seafood with salmon being one of the best sources. You can also find it in flax seed and in supplement form.

2. Cut the Desert - If you just can't go without eat them in moderation and choose healthier alternatives. Graham crackers, fat free frozen yogurt, and angle food cake are good cholesterol reducing choices.

3. Fiber - Is your friend. Foods that are high in fiber such as oatmeal, vegetables, beans, fruits, wheat bread, and high fiber cereals are all good choices.

4. Fruits and Vegetables - In addition to adding fiber to your diet fruits and vegetables contain no cholesterol.

5. Fried and Fast Foods - These should be avoided as much as possible. Because of their high saturated and trans-fat content these foods are nothing more then cholesterol time bombs.

6. Salad Dressing - Everyone knows that a nice salad is a healthy part of any meal. That is until you dump a bunch of high fat salad dressing on it. Read your labels carefully and select those dressings that are low in fat and cholesterol.

7. Grill or Broil your Meat - You should only eat lean cuts of meat and when you prepare them grill them on the barbecue or broil them. Cooking in this manner reduces the amount of fat in the meat and allows you to enjoy delicious meals.

8. What About Lunch - It is possible to have a healthy sandwich. Use whole wheat bread, lean turkey or chicken, and veggies. Stick to low fat cheeses and mayo or use mustard instead for a healthy delicious lunch.

The thing you will notice with these food to reduce bad cholesterol is that you are not forced to eat a bland diet. It may not be quite what you are used to but with a little time and recipe research you will soon find you don't miss all those un-healthy foods in the first place.