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Nutrition

Eating to Lower High Cholesterol

High cholesterol is caused by a variety of factors, including genes, age, gender and lifestyle. We are not able to change our genes, age or gender, but we can change our lifestyle to improve our cholesterol.

If you've been told to change your diet to improve your cholesterol, you may feel overwhelmed. There are good fats, bad fats, good cholesterol and bad cholesterol. Below is some information that will help you make sense of it all.

LDL-Cholesterol is your "bad" cholesterol. This number should be less than 130 mg/dl or less than 100 mg/dl if you have diabetes or other risk factors for heart disease. Just remember, you want your LDL to be Lower.

HDL-Cholesterol is your "good" cholesterol. This number should be more than 40 mg/dl for men and more than 50 mg/dl for women. Just remember, you want your HDL to be Higher.

Triglycerides are another type of fat in your blood, which is also bad for your heart. This should be below 150 mg/dl.

Saturated and Trans fats cause increases in cholesterol, particularly LDL-Cholesterol (bad cholesterol). For this reason, eliminating foods with saturated and trans fats will help you lower your cholesterol.

Saturated fat is found in:

• Full fat dairy products
• Fatty meats
• Lard (and products made with lard)
• Butter (and products made with butter)
• Coconut or Palm oil

Trans fat is found in:

• Products containing hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils
• Baked goods
• Fried foods
• Margarine (and products made with margarine)
• Processed snack foods

Tips for decreasing the saturated and trans fat in your diet:

• Choose lean meats, skinless white meat poultry and fish
• Cook (do not fry) with olive or canola oil
• Choose low fat dairy products
• Avoid baked goods and fried foods
• Read the ingredients on food labels and avoid foods with hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil

Monounsaturated and Omega-3 Fats are good for your heart and can help decrease cholesterol. Most, if not all, of your fat should come from these fats. Monounsaturated fats are found in:

• Olive, canola and peanut oil
• Peanuts, almonds, walnuts
• Natural peanut butter
• Avocado

Omega-3 fats are found in:

• Fish
• Ground flax seed or flax seed oil

Tips for increasing the monounsaturated and omega-3 fats in your diet:

• Dress salads with Olive oil and vinegar
• Eat fish twice a week
• Add ground flax seed to your cereal
• Add avocado to your sandwich instead of mayonnaise
• Have a natural peanut butter and jelly sandwich
• Cook with olive or canola oil
• Add a handful of slice nuts to your food

High fiber diets have also been shown to improve cholesterol. Fiber is part of plant based carbohydrates that are not digested by the body. Fiber acts like drain-o in the intestines, pushing the food through. This helps to prevent cholesterol from entering the body and therefore helps decrease cholesterol levels. Fiber can be found in:

• Fruits (especially in the skins)
• Vegetables
• Whole grains
• Beans and lentils

Tips for increasing your fiber intake include:

• Start your day with a high fiber cereal, such as slow cooking oatmeal
• Eat fruit for a snack
• Have 3-5 cups of vegetables each day
• Substitute meat for high protein beans and lentils
• Choose 100% whole wheat bread
• Eat brown rice instead of white rice