Cholesterol is a type of fat that helps release hormones and form cells throughout the body. When your cholesterol levels become elevated, your risk of suffering a stroke or heart attack increases due to the accumulation of plaque on your arterial walls. In order to reverse this and lower your cholesterol, you need to make some dietary changes that include the addition of beneficial foods and avoiding the bad foods.
Step 1
Avoid foods that are high in trans fat, saturated fat and cholesterol. All of these foods can cause your cholesterol to elevate. Specific examples include eggs, deep fried foods, fast food, processed meats and any packaged food that has hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils.
Step 2
Lose weight. Being overweight increases your risk for high cholesterol. If you are overweight and have elevated cholesterol levels, reduce your daily intake by 500 calories to lose a pound of weight a week.
Step 3
Eat smaller meals throughout the course of the day. This type of eating is often done for weight loss and it is referred to as "grazing." According to the Cleveland Clinic, eating six meals a day can help lower total and LDL (bad)cholesterol. Have a small meal every 2 to 3 hours throughout the day starting with breakfast.
Step 4
Drizzle olive oil over your steamed vegetables. According to the FDA, olive oil is a type of monounsaturated fat that can help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. Use 2 tablespoons of olive oil a day.
Step 5
Eat more fiber. Fiber comes in the form of insoluble, which does not absorb in water, and soluble which does absorb in water. According to the Mayo Clinic, consuming 10 grams or more of soluble fiber a day can help lower your cholesterol levels. Foods that are high in soluble fiber include beans, apples, pears, prunes, oat bran, oatmeal and bananas.
Step 6
Eat foods fortified with stanols and sterols. Plant stanols and sterols together are known as "phytosterols." These compounds can help lower cholesterol and they have been added to certain foods in concentrated amounts. Margarine, orange juice, yogurt and granola bars are some of the foods that have been fortified.
Step 7
Include omega-3 fatty acids in your diet. Omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial fats that your body cannot produce on its own. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, omega-3 fats can lower your cholesterol levels. Omega-3 is found in cold water fish like salmon, mackerel, herring, halibut, sardines and tuna. Walnuts and flax seeds also contain omega-3.
