good cholesterol foods

Finding a List of Low Cholesterol Foods

Author: Andrew Bicknell

A high blood cholesterol level is something that needs to be taken very seriously because it is one of the main risk factors for increased chances of arteriosclerosis, heart disease, and stroke. One of the best ways to deal with this medical condition is through diet and for most people that means finding a list of low cholesterol foods.

Fortunately it is relatively easy to separate food types into those that contain cholesterol and those that don't. Any food that comes from an animal source contains cholesterol because it is a primarily used to create and maintain cell wall membranes along with hormone production.

Food from plant sources or derived from plant sources are for the most part cholesterol free and eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nuts can help significantly lower blood cholesterol levels. There is a big but that goes along with this because food preparation can significantly change whether or not that healthy food suddenly becomes a ticking cholesterol time bomb.

Recent studies into the effects of diet on cholesterol have found that it isn't always the amount of cholesterol in a particular food that is dangerous. In fact many cholesterol containing foods don't significantly raise blood cholesterol levels when eaten as is. What these studies have found is that saturated fat and Transfats are much more dangerous to cholesterol levels. When combined with high cholesterol foods in the preparation of meals these two fats can lead to dangerously high blood cholesterol levels.

This does not mean that eating high cholesterol foods is a good idea but by being aware of how to prepare your meals you can see significant reductions in your cholesterol levels. Here are some tips on how to best manage cholesterol levels through diet.

1. Avoid and eliminate foods high in saturated and Trans fats as well as avoid preparing meals with these types of fats. This is why fried foods are dangerous to anyone with high cholesterol levels.

2. Eat only lean cuts of meat in moderation. Grill or broil them to allow the fat to run off before eating.

3. The best source of protein in a low cholesterol diet can be gotten from chicken and seafood.

4. Eat fiber rich foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grain breads and cereals. Fiber has been shown to help remove cholesterol from the body and is an important part of the digestive process.

5. Dairy products can be eaten if you choose low fat or skim products that have had the saturated fats removed or significantly reduced.

6. Increase your intake of foods containing omega-3 fatty acids. Much seafood such as salmon is rich in this vital nutrient or you can take it in supplement form.

As you can see managing this problem is much more then just finding a list of low cholesterol foods. While eating only these types of foods can decrease your risks you can do much more by understanding how certain foods and their preparation can affect cholesterol levels. The key to this is avoiding and eliminating saturated fats and Trans fats from your diet and eating those foods containing cholesterol in moderation.

About the Author:

To learn more about Low Cholesterol Food please visit the website Lowering Cholesterol by clicking here.

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good cholesterol food

Boost Your Good Cholesterol

Author: Chris McCombs

Cholesterol is a fatty substance which is found in the tissues of the body of all animals. It is found in the blood of man and animals also. Cholesterol scares every human being a lot because, a majority of the people have a feeling that cholesterol is bad. But believe me there is good as well as bad cholesterol. Good cholesterol can be increased in our body by working out for long hours.

The food that we eat contains 20% of the cholesterol in our body. The remaining 80% is manufactured by the liver. But the cholesterol that is obtained from your work out is good. Working out for this purpose has to be for long hours which extends beyond half an hour. This was discovered by a new research review by Japanese researchers.

Types of cholesterol:

Bad cholesterol that is low-density lipoprotein and good cholesterol that is high-density lipoprotein are the two types of cholesterol in our body. Too much of bad cholesterol causes heart disease. But good cholesterol helps to remove bad cholesterol. Actually bad cholesterol gets deposited on the walls of arteries and good cholesterol helps to remove this by transporting if to the liver for elimination.

In order to increase good cholesterol an individual has to take up at least two hours or work out per week. These work outs can be in the form of aerobic exercises. The exercises include walking, biking or even swimming. Brief bouts of these exercise is not helpful.

Tai Chi and art of living also promotes good cholesterol in our body. Deep breathing associated with art of living, helps the flow of blood to all parts of the body. Meditation prevents the arteries from hardening. Proper exercise and balanced diet can improve good cholesterol in an individual's body.

Changes to be made in order to boost your good cholesterol:


o Stop smoking:


As smoking brings down the level of HDL cholesterol it increases the tendency of the blood to clot. To stop this you can quit smoking. You can take your doctor's advice to stop smoking and also medication to decrease nicotine cravings.


o Maintain your weight:


Your weight is also related to your HDL level. If you exercise your way to reduce your weight it will also help in increasing your HDL level. Bring in permanent changes in your life so that you can keep your weight in a healthy array. Adopt changes in your eating habits and exercise.


o Increase your physical activity:


Regular aerobic exercise increases HDL. At least 30-60 minutes of regular aerobic activity will help you to increase your HDL level. You can even go for a brisk walk. If you are not able to take longer workouts, you can do it as smaller sessions throughout the day.

o Select healthier fats:

Fats can be included in your diet but with a limit. 25-35% of fat can be taken with your diet. You should avoid saturated fat in your diet. Also discard food that contains trans fats which boosts LDL cholesterol. Nuts, fish and foods comprising omega-3 fats are also good options to be included in your diet.

oTake alcohol in moderation:

Red wine can be used in moderation and it helps in increasing HDL level. One drink for women and one to two drinks for men in a day is the recommendation for a healthy life.


oIncrease Fiber intake:


Include food such as whole grains, bran, fruits and vegetables in your diet. These foods contain more dietary fiber. Fiber raises HDL levels and it also helps you to lose your weight.

About the Author:
Chris McCombs is a personal trainer. He runs a program called Long Beach Weight Loss. Chris owns fitness and training business Positively Fit Inc. helping people all over Southern California lose fat and get the body they want. You can learn more about Chris at http://www.socalworkout.com

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Boost Your Good Cholesterol

lower cholesterol foods

Food Options For Lower Cholesterol

Author: Riley Hendersen

Want to eat a more heart healthy diet? Looking for ways to cut some cholesterol from your meals? Here are some options to help you make eating decisions that are better for you and contain a lower cholesterol count.

First, keep in mind that the majority of your cholesterol intake comes from animal products. These include things such as meats, egg yolks and whole milk. While trying to eat a lower cholesterol diet, you should steer clear of these foods as well as foods that contain these items in them.

Although meats do contain cholesterol, many people do not wish to avoid meat altogether in their diet. There are some sensible options to the higher fat meats available. When choosing a meat you should first trim the fat from your meat and limit your meat intake to one 3-ounce serving 5 times weekly. Ideal meats for a lower cholesterol diet include lean ground beef, lamb, veal, chicken and turkey. Meats you should avoid include bacon, sausage, hot dogs, lunch meat and processed poultry products.

Dairy products are also a group of foods that should be avoided if possible when devising a lower cholesterol diet. Of course, we all know that we need calcium in our diets and dairy products are the best way to get this calcium. So what are we to do? First, go for low-fat or non-fat milk or milk products. Other good choices include buttermilk, sweet acidophilus skim milk, low-fat yogurt, mozzarella or ricotta cheese, and low-fat cottage cheese. Dairy products to avoid include whole or 2% milk, chocolate milk, milkshakes, cream cheese, any processed chesses and whole milk or custard style yogurt.

While fruits and vegetables are generally considered a good lower cholesterol food choice, there are even some fruits and vegetables you should avoid. These include tomato sauce; spaghetti sauce; breaded, creamed or fat-fried vegetables; fruits packed in heavy syrup; sweetened dried fruits; and fried fruit snack chips.

Egg yolks are also a no-no when trying to eat a lower cholesterol diet. You should avoid eating more than four egg yolks per week, or consuming food containing more than four egg yolks per week. For less cholesterol in your diet, try cooking only with egg whites or using low cholesterol egg substitutes.

High fat foods should also be avoided when trying to eat a lower cholesterol diet. The best oils include sunflower oil, corn oil, olive oil, or peanut oil. Oils to avoid include butter, lard, bacon drippings, coconut oil and hydrogenated fats. Also, when choosing margarine, a tub is preferable over the stick form. Margarine should be made with unsaturated fats and liquid oils as opposed to saturated fats and hardened oils.

It is possible to help improve your heart health by eating a lower cholesterol diet. By knowing what foods to avoid and which foods are better for your health, you can begin to make good eating choices. When you begin to eat lower cholesterol foods, your body and your heart will thank you.

About the Author:

Still looking for a way to reduce your cholesterol? Try visiting http://www.eliminatecholesterol.com - a website providing cholesterol advice, tips and resources to included information on how to lower cholesterol.

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foods proven to lower cholesterol

4 Foods Which Lower Cholesterol

Author: Lauren B. Wallace

High cholesterol is not a joke. It can lead to serious life threatening complications if untreated; that it why it is important to maintain a healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle. When it comes down to a healthy lifestyle, daily exercise is a must. As for healthy eating habits, here are a few foods which are proven to lower bad cholesterol (or LDL).

Oatmeal is one of the most well known and beneficial LDL lowering foods. This particular product contains soluble fiber which reduces your low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Soluble fiber can also be found in kidney beans, apples, rears, barley and prunes. The walnut is yet another cholesterol lowering food. This particular nut is made up of polyunsaturated fatty acids which are proven to not only reduce bad cholesterol but also keep blood vessels healthy and elastic. However, given that walnuts are fattening, a simple 2 ounce serving each day will be enough.

Third LDL lowering food is fish. It has been proven that all fatty fish are rich in omega 3 fats. What these omega 3 fats do for our bodies is reduce blood pressure, reduce the risk for blood clots, and lower bad cholesterol. Some of the highest levels of omega 3 fats can be found in mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna, and salmon. Just be sure to bake or grill the fish in order to reap the most health benefits.

Last but not least, olive oil has been known to reduce LDL. This particular product contains a rich mixture of antioxidants which lower bad cholesterol and leave the good cholesterol untouched. The Food and Drug Administration recommends two tablespoons (23grams) of olive oil each day. You can incorporate this product in your diet by sautéing your veggies in it or mixing it with vinegar as salad dressing. These are just a few of the most beneficial LDL lowering foods.

About the Author:

Lauren S. Johnson writes health articles about fitness and nutrition.

Some of her favorite passions include studying the medicinal benefits of herbal remedies for antidepressants,

diet pills, and hoodia gordonii.

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foods to eat to lower cholesterol

Benefits of Foods That Lower Cholesterol

Author: Jb Anthony

There are many benefits to knowing foods that lower cholesterol. You will known what to avoid and what to stock up on. Health should be a primary concern, so you should be careful of the food you eat, since they affect you. With the rise of more processed food full of unsaturated fat, it is no wonder that more people have high cholesterol levels. This could lead to health problems.



To ensure that you are safe from cholesterol-related problems, be aware of the food that can harm you and those that can lower the level. The following are three examples of foods that can help you in your quest to lower cholesterol levels.


- Almonds, Walnuts, and More



Almonds and walnuts are full of polyunsaturated fatty acids that keep the blood vessels elastic and healthy. Eating them for a period of four weeks will greatly improve your health. Instead of cheese or meat that are full of unsaturated fat in your salads, use nuts instead. However, since nuts are rich in calories, you have to be careful not to go overboard.


- Fish and Omega-3 Fatty Acids



Omega-3 fatty acids are known for their triglyceride-lowering effect but other than that, they reduce blood pressure and lower the risk of blood clots. People who are suffering from heart attacks can also find that omega-3 fatty acids or fish oil can reduce the risk of sudden death.



Two servings of fish a week is recommended by doctors. You can eat baked or grilled albacore tuna, herring, lake trout, mackerel, salmon, and sardines.



Omega-3 fatty acids are not found in fish alone. You can get them from canola oil, flaxseed, soybean oil, and walnuts, too.


- Oat Bran and Oatmeal



Oat bran and oatmeal contain soluble fiber that can lower low density lipoprotein (LDL), which is a bad type of cholesterol. Soluble fiber reduces the absorption of cholesterol in the intestines and binds bile and dietary cholesterol for the body to excrete later.



Besides oats, soluble fiber can also be found in apples, barley, Brussels sprouts, kidney beans, pears, prunes, and psyllium.



Foods that lower cholesterol are good for you, but you do not have to take too much of them, lest you develop other ailments. While some of them do reduce the levels of cholesterol in your body, they can also increase the fat, like nuts and other types of oil.


Before you subject yourself to a different diet than the one you are used to, consult a doctor first. Medical opinion is always important, if ever anything goes wrong or if your new diet won't work on you.



It you plan to take foods that lower cholesterol, make sure your body can handle the change. Do not starve yourself and do not deprive yourself of most foods just because they contain a few fats. Moderation is key.

About the Author:

Get your guide to foods that lower cholesterol. Discover the best diet to lower cholesterol naturally.

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what foods raise cholesterol

Is Your Diet Giving You Raised Cholesterol?

Author: Kenneth Scott

All of us lead a busy lifestyle today. Everyone is in a mad rush to achieve his or her goals and in the bargain we have forgotten to take out time for ourselves. We do not have time for relaxing, leisure or even taking care of ourselves.


All of this takes a toll on our body and it becomes important that we ensure that our eating habits are healthy. A healthy eating habit, which includes taking balanced diet, can help us in keeping fit that will enable us to take on further challenges in life. Eating healthy is a pillar for maintaining good health. One of the disease conditions that are hitting people all across the world is the cholesterol problem. And if you are one of those who have not heard about this terminology yet, it is high time that you visit your family doctor and get to know more about this condition.


Cardiovascular diseases are gaining the proportion of an epidemic. One of its causes is high level of cholesterol in the blood. The major portion of cholesterol that is found in our body comes from the food that we eat. Hence it is important to monitor our cholesterol levels on a regular basis and at the same time consume food that is low in cholesterol. Though we all love to eat foods that are rich in fat, it is high time that we wake up to the reality of cardiovascular disease.


The danger of this disease is aggravated by the fact that most of the Americans are obese. Obesity implies that the eating habit of the individual is not healthy. And thanks to this phenomenon of obesity, there have been a slew of diets offering low cholesterol and are being talked about.


We are what we eat. And if we choose a diet that is low in cholesterol, it is obvious that our body will never grow up to have high blood cholesterol levels. Given the increasing awareness on eating healthy, there are many different types of low cholesterol diets that are being floated all around.


It is important for a consumer to pick up a diet that is really effective in controlling the intake of cholesterol thereby resulting in low blood cholesterol. If you want to know more about these low cholesterol diets, one of the easiest places to get information is the Internet. And all this information is available for free.

About the Author:

To find more information about nutrition and your diet and its effect on cholesterol levels visit http://a1-nutrition.com

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cholesterol friendly foods

Children and Cholesterol

Author: Adrian Kennelly

Many people assume that high cholesterol is a problem that affects middle-aged adults only. In fact, many people don't even worry about their cholesterol when they are younger, eating all the fatty convenience foods they want, assuming that their early diet makes no difference.


Nothing could be further from the truth. More children today suffer from high cholesterol. In fact, the numbers of children who are taking cholesterol drugs is on the rise! Some studies have suggested that a childhood of poor eating choices can contribute to higher cholesterol later in life.


Besides this, many of the eating habits learned in childhood affects eating in adulthood. Children who are used to eating high-fat foods and convenience foods are more likely to make the same choices as adults. Switching to healthy foods in adulthood may be harder for children who have made less-than-heart-healthy food choices all their lives.


For all these reasons, controlling food intake and lifestyle choices even in early life can contribute to life-long heart health and good cholesterol levels.


If you have children, you can help ensure that they make the right food choices that can help them with their cholesterol levels now and later in life.


In fact, if you and other members of your family have high cholesterol, you need to introduce your children to cholesterol-healthy eating, as your children may be at an increased risk of developing high cholesterol themselves.


Luckily, it is not that hard to teach your children how to make smart food and lifestyle choices that are heart-healthy:


* Teach your children about healthy eating and cholesterol. If you have high cholesterol yourself, you may want to speak to your children about this. Informed children are better able to make smart food choices that can help keep their cholesterol levels healthy later in life.


* Let children make healthy food choices for themselves. Give your children some say about the fruits, vegetables and other foods that they like. Go through heart-healthy cookbooks with your children and let them help you decide what recipes to try.


* Be careful of the food and cholesterol attitudes you convey to your children. Children pick up emotional cues from their parents. If you treat a cholesterol-friendly diet as a type of punishment, your children will likely see it the same way.


If your children see you turn to fatty junk food when you are depressed or feeling stressed, they will likely do the same thing. Many parents are fussy eaters and pass this on to their children, which is a terrible disservice. Fussy eaters will simply not try the different healthy foods out there simply because the foods are different.


* Do not reward children with food. If your child does well at a sport or gets great grades in school, do not take them to a restaurant or for take-out to celebrate.


Give them horseback riding lessons or let them choose a toy or favorite activity instead. Many parents are tempted to keep sweet foods such as cupcakes and cakes for "special occasions" and "special treats" but this inadvertently makes children associate sugary foods with good times and vegetables with punishment or everyday life.


* Take your children food shopping - especially when you are shopping for fresh produce. Let your children choose which vegetables, fruits, and other healthy foods they would like. Encourage your children to decide which fruits and vegetables look as though they might be tasty. Treat your produce shopping trip as an adventure and your children may be more likely to eat their fruits and vegetables without a fuss.


* Monitor what your children eat. As a parent, it is your responsibility to make sure that your children eat three meals a day that include foods that are low in fats and high in nutrients. Reduce the amount of sugars and fats your children eat and limit how much junk food is allowed.


* Become involved in your child's school lunch program or cafeteria. Many schools offer less than healthy school lunches as well as vending machines full of sugary foods. At a number of schools, though, parents have banded together to force school boards to provide better foods choices for students. Use this as your inspiration to make sure that your child can make healthy foods choices in school.


* If you are worried about what your children eat, consider taking them to a nutritionist who can help teach them what they should be eating.


* Even if your child has elevated cholesterol levels, realize that growing children still need more fats and nutrients than adults. Never simply place your child on a very low-fat diet - consult with a pediatrician to find a diet plan that can help your child grow while keeping cholesterol under control. A too-low-fat diet may affect childhood development.


* Teach your children about the dangers of smoking. Smoking is a risk factor for cancers, heart disease, and high cholesterol.


* Get your children to exercise. Virtually all health experts agree that North American children do not exercise enough. This has disastrous effects on cholesterol levels and overall health. One of the best things you can do to keep your children away from the dangers of high cholesterol is to get them to exercise at least a little each day. Find an activity they enjoy and encourage them in their activity.


* If your child smokes, is overweight, or has at least one parent who has a cholesterol level of more than 240mg/dl, your child is at an increased risk of high cholesterol - even at an early age. Take you child to the doctor - especially if your child has more than one of the risk factors - for a complete check-up and cholesterol check.

About the Author:

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