We know that lowering our cholesterol will lead to better health. You may be curious about which foods to select for your meals that will actively lower your bad LDL cholesterol level and raise your good HDL cholesterol level. So how about shopping with me while I pick out some healthy foods that will fit into a good low cholesterol diet plan?
What’s the plan?
First, just a few words about my diet plan and how I got motivated to build a plan. It started with a medical check-up, which included a blood test.
The results, which were shocking to me, showed high LDL cholesterol accompanied by low HDL cholesterol in my blood. My health care provider explained to me that my cholesterol balance was outside the acceptable guidelines for good health. That was not good news. In fact, I have been informed that if this condition continues, it will lead to a high risk of many serious, unpleasant and even life-threatening diseases. These include heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke topping a list of other health problems that will cause a lower quality of life than anyone would like.
So, being a lover of life and with no desire to diminish my ability to live life to the fullest, I have pledged to accept the consensus of medical advice that a more disciplined diet is needed, one that utilizes healthy low-fat food products. in cholesterol. I walk into the grocery store with a list made up of recommended food categories known to lower bad cholesterol.
Fresh Food Section
I head to the fresh food area where many vegetables and fruits are neatly arranged in a colorful pattern. I see two types of avocados and select several of each type. Although this fruit has a fairly high fat content, it also has almost magical cholesterol-lowering properties. A very tasty addition to salads, dips and sandwiches. I select a few other common salad-making staples, like carrots and onions. But begrudgingly skip over the many high-calorie, fat-laden salad dressings.
I see some red and green apples that look great, so I select a bag of each. Apples contain pectin, a soluble fiber that helps lower cholesterol and can be great for snacking as well as making delicious smoothies. Add some fresh grapefruit and navel oranges and we have the ingredients to mix up a very healthy and delicious smoothie.
I’ve never tried artichoke before, but it scores high on the cholesterol-lowering list. So I selected several along with some fresh squash, sweet potatoes, and broccoli. All this will be prepared in a healthy way by steam cooking or with polyunsaturated olive oil.
Seeing a display of nuts, I select a bag of almonds, which contain monounsaturated fat and are high on the list of healthy cholesterol-lowering snacks. Just a few steps away are the cereals. Going through my list, I notice that oats and other whole grains are high in soluble fiber, which will play a dual role in stabilizing HDL cholesterol while also lowering bad LDL cholesterol. I check ingredient labels and select several varieties of cereals that contain whole grains.
meat
Quickly passing the tempting burgers, roasts, and steaks, I select some skinless chicken breasts, remembering that white meat is the recommended cut of chicken that should be baked or cooked with unsaturated oils.
Then come the seafood counters. Salmon looks very colorful and fresh. Knowing that fish is loaded with cholesterol-busting omega-3s, several fillets quickly enter my cart. I take note of a wide range of seafood types and make a mental note to try some of the different varieties in the future.
I avoid all kinds of processed meat like hot dogs, sausages, and luncheon meats that are made from processed mixes of “who knows what” cuts and types of meat—tasty, but sure to be loaded with artery-clogging trans fats.
Drinks
As I roll my shopping cart to the soda aisle, I select a large pack of bottled water instead of the usual 12-packs of soda that are loaded with sugar. I take a large bottle of lemon concentrate to give the water a hint of zest. Then I turn the corner and head down the aisle that contains many types of wine, selecting a Merlot and a Pinot Noir. Red wine has particular antioxidant properties derived from a phenolic compound called resveratrol, the source of which is the skin and stems of many types of red grapes.
Dairy products
We need to have some milk to house the whole grains we select. The best option is low-fat milk, either 2% or nonfat. I select 2%, opting for a compromise that retains some of the milk flavor. For the butter, the selection is a substitute for real butter that is free of trans and saturated fats. I see a container of egg replacer. Although it’s new to me, it’s worth a try. I might like it while avoiding the high cholesterol content of real eggs.
breads and spices
Remembering that whole grains are the healthiest, I choose a loaf of multigrain bread, letting in the flavor of tempting packaged cakes, pies, and cookies that are likely cooked with trans fats. I choose some fresh garlic, which is on my list with an asterisk to emphasize foods with anti-cholesterolemic properties.
As I head to the checkout line, I feel very confident that I am ready to get off to a good start on a diet to improve my health by eating the right foods that will restore healthy cholesterol levels.