What foods should I eat to help lower my cholesterol?
To reduce your bad cholesterol levels and increase your good cholesterol levels, you just need to tweak your diet as follows.
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Avoid:
Saturated and trans fats — These are real artery cloggers, so try to avoid them when you can. Trans fats are found primarily in stick margarine and packaged goods that contain partially hydrogenated oils. Foods rich in saturated fat include full-fat dairy products (for example, whole milk, cheese, cream, ice cream, and butter), fatty cuts of meat, poultry skin, and coconut.
Unfiltered coffee (if you drink coffee at all) — French-pressed coffee and espresso have been shown to raise blood cholesterol levels.
Add:
Monounsaturated fats — These can help lower LDL cholesterol (that’s the bad kind) while maintaining or increasing HDL cholesterol (the good kind). Olive oil, almonds, macadamia nuts, avocados, and canola oil are all excellent sources of monounsaturated fat — just be sure to go easy on portions because these foods are also high in calories.
Omega-3 fats — These fats may help improve your cholesterol, and they definitely improve overall heart and arterial health. Try to eat wild salmon, sardines, walnuts, and ground flaxseeds.
Soluble fiber — The kind found in oatmeal, beans, vegetables, and fruit is best for lowering cholesterol.