All about Foods Low in Cholesterol

The cholesterol level in the body can only be managed by constant intake of foods low in cholesterol. There are no drugs that function as effectively as that. And to keep a healthy heart, cholesterol should be kept low. Cholesterol lowering foods are just as accessible and delicious as any food. It’s just a matter of knowing the healthy ones form the bad ones.

There are many ways on how to control cholesterol intake. All of which boils down to healthy food choices. A lot of people won’t find it easy to adopt a low cholesterol diet plan. After all, fast food chains, hotdog and sandwich stands are more widespread and convenient too. It’s not surprising that you would need to walk a couple of blocks to the nearest health food shop that carry foods low in cholesterol, while you pass a dozen pizza and burger food joints. But then again, the walk would do you good as much as the food.

Being healthy is not easy in our present society where time is a prime commodity. Gone are the days when you have the luxury or the need to pack a lunch or grow your own food. Today, only farmers grow food and various, ready to eat lunch packs are always available in convenience stores and cafeterias. Our lifestyle certainly cultivates the immense rise of obesity and heart diseases that statistics reflects.

Cholesterol levels should be low, and must have a high ratio of the good cholesterol over the bad. Ideal level of cholesterol should be lower than 200mg for every dl of blood. LDL and triglycerides should be kept low as they are the ones that clog the bloodstreams, endangers the heart and contributes to weight gain. The good HDL on the other hand works to move the bad cholesterol from the blood to the liver, and eventually flushes them out of the body. Keeping cholesterol levels get harder as the body advances with age, thus the need to commit to a low cholesterol diet plan.

The most recommended foods low in cholesterol but just as filling are fruits, whole grains like oats and barley, beans and most vegetables. While effective cholesterol lowering foods are fishes with high Omega3 content, nuts and most plant based foods that are high in sterols and stanols. Foods low in cholesterol are usually fibre rich that work in keeping your weigh down. Foods with the highest cholesterol content are red meat, sea foods, animal innards, diary products and oils like margarine, lard and butter.

Knowing what your body needs is important to keep it healthy. Here are the basic food groups of foods low in cholesterol;

Fruits – Apple, berries, oranges and grapes
Vegetables – Spinach, cabbages, kale, broccoli, okra
Fishes – Salmon, mackerel, sardines, tuna
Nuts – walnuts, pecan, cashews, peanuts
Grains – Oats, barley, whole wheat
Beans – Lentils, peas, kidney beans

These are just some of the suggested foods to keep you healthy. Aside from simply eating foods low in cholesterol, active and healthy lifestyles are also essential to holistic wellness. So exercise regularly, rest and sleep well, stay away from stress and enjoy life.