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Cholesterol Diet Foods

When you suffer from high blood cholesterol, a change in lifestyle is often necessary to positively affect your health. While this normally includes some level of exercise and weight loss, it also incorporates an adjustment in your diet. However, this diet not only suggests the inclusion of certain foods but also requires that you avoid and eliminate substances known to raise cholesterol.

  1. Fruits and Vegetables

    • Of all the things you can do to improve your cholesterol level, adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet is one of the more important. With these "diet" foods, you can really eat almost any fruits or vegetables; however, try to include those that are high in fiber. These foods are thought to be the most beneficial. Split peas, lentils, black beans and lima beans are by far the best, but you can also get a great deal of fiber from pears, apples, raspberries, blueberries, artichokes, peas and broccoli. Even foods like bananas, oranges, corn, brussels sprouts and potatoes are rich in fiber, so try to get at least 25 g for women and 38 g from men each day.

    Whole Grains

    • It is also important to include whole grains into your diet. Much like fruits or vegetables, certain grains can be a great source of protein. Whole wheat, barley and oat are some of the higher dietary fiber grains, but rye and brown rice can also increase your fiber intake, so include food products, such as pastas, breads and cereals, containing these grains.

    Nuts and Fats

    • Surprisingly, certain nuts and fats can be an important part of your cholesterol diet, as they can sometimes increase your high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, which is also known as "good" cholesterol. When more HDL is in your blood, it can often reduce both low-density lipoprotein and total blood cholesterols. Try to incorporate almonds, walnuts and even pecans into your diet. Start using extra virgin olive oil or canola oil in cooking. These products can be great sources of polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats.

    Fish

    • Another significant part of a cholesterol diet is fish. But not just any fish (although most are fine); fish containing omega-3 fatty acid. Most cold-water fish are rich in this nutrient, so include salmon, tuna, mackerel and sardines into your eating regimen.

    Bad Fats

    • Although eating the right foods is key to lowering your cholesterol, you'll also want to avoid certain products that contain "bad" fats. Saturated fat and trans fat are the two you should be most concerned with, so reduce your intake to 7 and 1 percent, respectively, of your total caloric intake each day. Chips, cookies, crackers and fried foods are all high in trans fat, so eliminate these from your diet. Dairy, red meats and egg yolks are all rich in saturated fat, so switch to low-fat dairy, lean meats and egg whites.

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