One of the inevitable aspects of growing older is watching cholesterol numbers rise. According to the American Heart Association, 98.6 million Americans have total cholesterol that is higher than 200 mg/dl--the diagnostic threshold for high cholesterol. But just because you're getting on in years doesn't mean you have to live with the risk for heart disease. You can keep your cholesterol down while still enjoying your favorite foods.
Step 1
Add at least 6 grams of oat bran to your daily diet. The oat bran contained in oatmeal contains soluble fiber that grabs onto low density lipoproteins, or LDL (the bad cholesterol), and excretes it from your body before it has a chance to accumulate on the inside of your arterial walls. Other good sources of soluble fiber are found in barley, prunes, beans, apples and pears.
Step 2
Eat more fish. Certain types of cold-water fish such as tuna, salmon, sardines and mackerel contain omega-3 fatty acids that not only lower LDL cholesterol, but also raise HDL cholesterol, the good cholesterol. Dietitians recommend eating two servings of fish per week. If you don't care for fish, you can also buy omega-3 fatty acid supplements at your local supermarket, drugstore or health food store.
Step 3
Add nuts to all of your meals. According to the Food and Drug Administration, eating as little as 1.5 ounces of walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, pistachio nuts and peanuts, a rich source of polyunsaturated fatty acids, can help keep your arteries free from plaque accumulation. But be careful. Nuts are loaded with calories.
Step 4
Add plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables to your diet. Many plant sources contain sterols and stanols, substances that have been found to help block the absorption of cholesterol in arteries. The American Heart Association recommends that you add at least 2 grams of sterols and stanols per day if your LDL cholesterol is higher than 160 mg/dl. Good fortified sources of plant sterols and stanols include margarines, orange juice and yogurt drinks.
Step 5
Cook with or add olive oil to the foods you prepare at home. The Food and Drug Administration recommends that you eat at least 1 ounce of olive oil per day. The great thing about olive oil is that there are so many ways to use it in your diet. You can make your own healthy salad dressings, saute vegetables and baste meats in it instead of butter or other less healthy fat sources. If possible, buy the extra-virgin olive oil. Not only will it bring down your LDL cholesterol, but it's loaded with antioxidants that help prevent certain types of cancer. Use olive oil whenever a recipe calls for fat or oil.
