Cholesterol - Eat your way to lower cholesterol

10 Easy Tips to Eat Your Way to Lower Cholesterol. 

Tips to Lower Cholesterol - Do you have high cholesterol and need to lower it?

 That is no surprise considering how many people have high cholesterol these days. To help lower your cholesterol, here are 10 tips you can get started with today. As with anything health related, diet and exercise are the two crucial components. What you eat is critical to lowering your cholesterol levels, so that is what is included here. One thing you should know is the difference between LDL and HDL cholesterol. Simply think of HDL as "healthy" and LDL as "bad for health." HDL can actually help carry cholesterol out of your blood vessels while LDL allows it to deposit inside your artery walls. The good news is that you can change your cholesterol for the better. Here is how to do just that: 1. Have a nice sandwich on whole wheat bread or/ and lots of fresh veggies. Skip the hot dogs, bologna, and salami, and hold the Mayo. All of those are highly processed and filled with fat and cholesterol. 2. Fish, like salmon, is good. Look for wild red salmon varieties, which are very high in Omega-3 fatty acids (good fat.) Also, flax seed is a good source of Omega-3s. 3. Avoid Trans fats! Not only do they raise the lousy LDL cholesterol, they can also lower your HDL levels! Stay away from foods like margarine, shortening, and processed foods containing partially hydrogenated soybean oil. 4. Go ahead, go nuts! Look for walnuts mainly but also try almonds, nuts, cashews, and pecans. Nuts are high in fat, but it's the good kind. (Also, use natural peanut butter instead of the normal kind which contains unhealthy Trans fats.) 5. Limit desserts and try to eat only the healthier ones like angel food cake, graham crackers, Jell-O, and fat-free frozen yogurt. 6. Eat foods that are high in fiber. Examples include whole wheat bread, oatmeal, fruits, vegetables, beans, and some cereals. (Look for the boxes that say "may help lower cholesterol.") 7. Use the grill. If you're going to have steak or burgers, grill them at home and use lean meat. This practice avoids the grease, is fun, and the meat tastes great. 8. Find a new salad dressing. Most of them are full of Trans fats and cholesterol. Olive oil is good, and maybe add vinegar or lemon juice. Also, skip the bacon bits, croutons, and egg yolks. 9. Go overboard on fruits and vegetables. They contain no cholesterol and they have lots of nutrients like antioxidants. Here are some examples: green peas, broccoli, cauliflower, apples, oranges, mangos, papaya, pineapple, tomato, garlic, onions, spinach, water chestnuts, bananas, apricots, blueberries, and kiwi. 10. Avoid fast food like french fries and anything else from the deep fryer. Those foods will raise your cholesterol like crazy, so stay away from the burger joints if you can. 11. Bonus tip: Use spices like pepper and oregano to add flavor to your dishes. They are a healthy alternative to other toppings like Mayo. That was easy, wasn't it? Just make some of these changes and get plenty of exercise like walking, jogging, swimming, or playing basketball. You will have lower cholesterol in no time!

Oatmeal to reduce your cholesterol

Oatmeal is a great source of whole grains and is often recommended to people with diabetes or heart disease. It contains soluble and insoluble fibers that can help reduce cholesterol levels, improve blood sugar control, and reduce the risk of heart disease. Oats are also high in vitamins and minerals, including magnesium, phosphorus, folate, iron, zinc, thiamin and vitamin B6. .Oats are a great source of whole grains and is often recommended to people with diabetes or heart disease. It contains soluble and insoluble fibers that can help reduce cholesterol levels, improve blood sugar control, and reduce the risk of heart disease. Oats are also high in vitamins and minerals, including magnesium, phosphorus, folate, iron, zinc, thiamin and vitamin B6.is a type of cereal grain that is typically ground into a meal or flour made from oat groats (the kernel), which can be cooked into oats themselves as oatmeal breads , porridge oats as a cereal, or muesli. Oat bran is a byproduct of milling that can be easily ground to make pancakesThere are four chemical compounds in oats that contribute to the flavor and depth of flavor. The Maillard reaction on oatmeal causes many cooking and eating benefits.The chemical compound detected in oat bran is avenanthramide, which has been reported to have antioxidant properties.

Raw oats contain more nutrients than cooked oats but can be harder to digest. They also contain phytic acid which binds with minerals in the body and prevents them from being absorbed. However, soaking oatmeal overnight can minimize the amount of phytic acid present in raw oats so they are easier to digest while still providing all their health benefits.