knowing that you have high cholesterol It can be an overwhelming and scary place because you are constantly aware of the risks involved and the changes you need to make. Fortunately, experts believe that it’s the small, dedicated changes that add up over time and make the difference in lower cholesterol.
“It’s not about adding or subtracting egg yolks, which is probably the most misinformation you’ve ever heard regarding lowering cholesterol, it’s about focusing on adopt a higher quality diet so that, over time, it becomes your way of life and doesn’t require constant effort,” says medical expert Laura Burak, MS, RD, author of lose weight with smoothiesand founder of Laura Burak Nutrition.
To learn more about making these dietary changes, we spoke with Burak and another medical expert, Lauren Manaker, MS, RDN, author of The new mom’s pregnancy cookbook and Feeding Male Fertilityfor his advice on the best habits you can adopt to lower your cholesterol.
Here’s what they had to say, and for more heart-healthy tips, check out The best foods that can help reduce the risk of heart disease.
Yes, there are certain foods that someone with high cholesterol may want to avoid or limit, but our dieticians want readers to know what to add. whole and healthy foods to your daily diet can significantly help your cholesterol levels and your overall health.
“Center the foundation of your diet around nutritious whole foods like fruits and vegetables, and heart-healthy fats like nuts, seeds, avocado, olive oil, and fatty fish like salmonthat have been shown to help improve blood lipids,” says Burak.
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Oatmeal is known for its long list of health benefitshelping with just about everything under the sun like improving your gut health, helping you manage your weight, improving insulin resistance, and helping to lower cholesterol.
“Oatmeal contains a fiber called beta-glucan, which essentially helps remove cholesterol from the body,” says Manaker. “While adding oatmeal to your breakfast is a no-brainer, these whole grains can be added to a host of other dishes (even meatloaf!) to help give your diet a beta-glucan boost.”
Eating plenty of whole foods on a regular basis is one of the keys to lowering cholesterol. According to Burak, staying away from added sugar and processed foods it can also do wonders for your heart health.
“Contrary to what you might believe regarding cholesterol in the past, the abundance of added sugar in our modern diet is a major contributing factor to increased cholesterol and heart disease, not previously demonized foods like eggs and dairy.” Burak says. “It is very important to limit your intake of processed foods and added sugars, such as candy and cookies.”
Watermelon it’s a surprisingly powerful fruit, especially when it comes to your heart health. And thankfully, this good news comes just in time for many summer picnics and barbecues.
“Watermelon is a natural source of lycopene, a carotenoid that, when taken daily in certain doses, can lower LDL cholesterol levels,” says Maanker. “According to the results of a clinical trial published in Current Developments in Nutrition, eating watermelon is linked to lowering LDL cholesterol and improving HDL cholesterol. Watermelon is a convenient addition to many dishes and is a classic hydrating snack that many love. Plus, the entire watermelon is edible (including the rind!), which also makes it a sustainable food choice.”
Along with the watermelon, berries They have also been found to help improve your health in general, and specifically health of your heart.
“Berries are a naturally sweet food with no added sugars and are packed with good-for-you nutrients that support heart health,” says Manaker. “Data from a meta-analysis showed that eating the berries significantly lowered LDL cholesterol levels, making them an obvious choice for lowering cholesterol.”
Don’t you have fresh berries where you live? Manaker says that “frozen options can be just as nutritious as fresh options, and in many cases, they can also be much cheaper.”
