How to Lower High Cholesterol With Fruits & Vegetable

High cholesterol is a major health concern. Too much low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad" cholesterol) accumulates as plaque in the blood vessels. This restricts blood flow and leaves you at risk for heart disease. Fighting high cholesterol levels is well within your power, and fruits and vegetables are two of your best weapons. They contain soluble fiber, and eating them in place of fatty foods not only reduces the amount of cholesterol entering your body, but reduces the amount that's already there.

Instructions

• 1

  Cut out fatty desserts. Saturated fat cranks up your cholesterol level, and things like candy bars, ice cream and pastries are loaded with it.

• 2

  Substitute fruits. For dessert, eat raw fruits such as apples, strawberries, oranges, tangerines, grapes and melons.

• 3

  Avoid toppings. Strawberries are good for you, except when you cover them in chocolate. Other dessert dips do the same thing---add sugar and fat to perfectly healthy and delicious food.

• 4

  Change the way you cook vegetables. Vegetables by themselves are good for lowering cholesterol, but not when they're drenched in butter. Instead, boil or steam them, or sautee them in extra-virgin olive oil. Olive oil contains antioxidants, which lower bad cholesterol and keep your good cholesterol steady.

• 5

  Use vegetables to complement fish. Vegetables such as spinach and asparagus go well with fish. Doctors recommend eating fish to lower cholesterol because fish is a lean source of protein and contain Omega-3 fatty acids. These lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, another form of blood fat that causes heart disease.