Your diet plays an important role in your cholesterol levels. Even if your doctor prescribes cholesterol-lowering drugs you will need to change your diet to achieve the best results. Lowering high LDL cholesterol takes a dual attack. Eliminate foods that contribute to high LDL cholesterol and introduce foods that help your body balance LDL and HDL levels. Diet and habits are the keys to ensuring you achieve lasting results.
Step 1
Introduce more soluble fiber into your diet. Your goal should be to increase your intake to 10 g a day, so read the containers of foods you choose. Keep in mind you do not have to eat 3 cups of oatmeal every day. Choose from a variety of foods high in soluble fiber; mix it up to keep your interest. Barley, dried beans or lentils, ground flaxseed, all dried or fresh fruits, and all types of vegetables (especially greens) contain fiber. Spread your fiber intake out through the day with a variety of these foods so you never feel you are on a special diet.
Step 2
Throw out or give away all foods that either increase your bad LDL cholesterol or would keep you from a proper diet. This includes soda pop, white bread, white rice, cheese and whole milk, fatty meats, corn-based oils and butter. Store bought-baked goods are especially prone to raising bad LDL cholesterol levels. Eliminating sugar from your diet has the added benefit of promoting weight loss as well, so get rid of it too.
Step 3
Substitute good foods for bad foods. Use walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds as a substitute for bad fat foods, such as cheese. Cook barley instead of mashed potatoes; they take the same amount of time to cook and barley is better for your cholesterol levels. Sprinkle a few tablespoons of ground flaxseed on salads, baked potatoes and brown rice for added flavor and health benefits.
Step 4
Add omega-3 fatty acid supplements to your diet. Fish oil or flaxseed oil capsules allow you to introduce these good fats without having to eat large quantities of fish. Choose supplements that balance omega-3, omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids because each of these is important to a healthy diet.
Tips and Warnings
- Diet and exercise go hand in hand. Changing your diet by eliminating or adding foods is one step in the process; the proper amount of exercise is necessary, too. Using over-the-counter products can add soluble fiber in big doses, but your body can also quickly become dependent upon them. Regulating your intake through eating the proper foods is better in the long run.
Things You'll Need
- Soluble fiber
- Omega-3 fatty acid supplement
