High cholesterol levels greatly impact your likelihood for developing obesity, diabetes and heart disease. As a woman, you should incorporate certain low-cholesterol foods into your diet every day to decrease your risk of needing cholesterol medications. These foods include oats, olive oil, nuts, legumes, soy milk and bountiful amounts of fruits and vegetables. Low cholesterol diets -- such as high complex carbohydrate, high fruits and vegetables, low saturated fat and modified soy -- include nutritious foods that can be consumed daily.
High Complex Carbohydrate Diet
Carbohydrate foods include both simple and complex sources. Simple carbohydrates are composed of sugars that raise your blood sugar levels and rapidly lead to a sugar crash. Examples include candy, white bread, pasta, rice and soft drinks. Complex carbohydrates, such as brown rice, multigrain bread and whole-wheat pasta, contain larger amounts of fiber and keep your blood sugar levels steady, helping to reduce cravings. In addition, these products aid in reducing your overall cholesterol levels. The American Heart Association recommends consuming at least six servings of complex carbohydrates daily.
High Fruit and Vegetable Diet
Fruits and vegetables are highly versatile and readily available. These foods contain a large amount of fiber and complex carbohydrates, which help to reduce your cholesterol levels. They also provide you with necessary vitamins and minerals that help decrease your risk for developing other diseases and cancers. According to the Mayo Clinic, women should consume at least eight to 10 servings from both these food groups daily. Choose to consume these sources without heavy syrup or sugar and without frying them. Fruits and vegetables can be added to omelets, oatmeal, sandwiches and pasta dishes.
Low Saturated Fat Diet
Fat occurs naturally in certain products, including oils, nuts, meats and cheese. Fat is added to processed products such as baked goods and fried foods to give them a different taste and texture. Your diet should include healthful fats on a daily basis. According to Jack Siegelbaum Gastroenterology, healthful fats help to lower blood cholesterol levels, and you should incorporate at least two to three servings daily. Excellent sources include avocado, olive oil, seeds, nuts, low-fat cheeses, fatty fish and lean cuts of meat and poultry. You can incorporate these products into your diet by adding avocado to your sandwiches, nuts and seeds to your salads, and serving lean cuts of meat, poultry and fish.
Moderate Soy Diet
Soy products have been found to reduce blood cholesterol levels while helping with weight loss because of their low fat levels. You can find soy-based foods in your local grocery store. Examples of soy products include soy milk, soy cheese, soy yogurt and soy-based meats. You can gradually add soy foods to your diet as alternatives to high-fat foods such as whole milk, high-fat dairy products and fatty cuts of meat. Pick one food a month to switch to a soy-based version. For example, start with including soy milk to your diet; once you are comfortable with the milk alternative, add another product such as soy cheese to your diet.
