Info culled from the Mayo Clinic website gives me a top 5 foods to eat to help lower my cholesterol.

  1. Oatmeal. I’ve been putting a serving of oatmeal in my shakes almost every time I make one. the main benefit for me is to make them more filling and last longer as a meal replacement. Not that I really needed it though, those shakes are pretty filling. But I did it out of fear that I would be hungry. It turns out that eating it gives me the soluble fiber my body needs to block cholesterol formation and reduce LDL and total cholesterol. 5 to 10 grams a day can do that, and my oatmeal gives me 4-6 grams.
  2. Fish and Omega-3 Fatty Acids. I should eat more fish, I’m sure. Doctors recommend two to three servings of fish a week. I like fish. I’ll try to buy more at the grocery store, and replace some other meats that I will be avoiding. I can also get small amounts of omega-3 from flax seed and canola oil. Side benefit: omega-3′s can lower blood pressure also.
  3. Almonds, Walnuts, Nuts in general. I need to buy some bulk raw almonds and have a handful a day. They contain polyunsaturated fatty acids, whioch can help lower cholesterol and keep blood vessels healthy too.
  4. Olive oil. I use this anyway, quite often. Two tablespoons a day are recommended for heart health and cholesterol levels. That seems like a lot, and I’m sure you could add other ways of getting it than stir-fry, like dipping bread or in a salad dressing or marinade. Ollive oil contains antioxidants that can lower the bad (LDL cholesterol, but leave the good (HDL) alone.
  5. Foods with added Plant Sterols and Stanols. This one I didn’t know about. And though it seems a bit unnatural to eat foods with additives, we probably don’t get the Sterols we used to from our aailable food sources anyway. I’ve seen these in the store a little bit I guess, as they are advertised added to margarine, orange juice adn yogurt drinks. Since it’s fifth on the top five list at the Mayo Clinic website, maybe I’ll find a food I like that contains it.

Well, it sounds like I can easily start taking in enough of these good foods to help my cholesterol numbers. I’m going to monitor the amounts I eat of these and make sure I get enough. Also, I’m abstaining from red meat and other saturated fats for two months until my next blood test. Oh, Snap!

Filed under: Cholesterol • Tracking Health

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