When you go to the doctor and he tells you you have high cholesterol, it’s probably going to be followed by a list of the foods you shouldn’t really eat. This involves tasty treats like butter, cheese, cookies and cakes, so it’s not really a lot of fun to hear.
What you might not realize in that initial moment is that there are still plenty of foods you can eat that don’t just taste good but can also help reduce your cholesterol.
There are different ways that food can help your cholesterol levels. For example, oats, barley and other whole grains are full of soluble fiber, which binds cholesterol in the digestive system before it can get into the bloodstream. Beans, okra and eggplant are also in the high soluble fiber category.
Then there are nuts, which come with a long list of nutritional benefits, many of which protect the heart. This includes the ability to lower LDL, which is the bad type of cholesterol. You could snack on them, or perhaps you could try nut milk instead of dairy milk.
Another alternative to dairy milk is soy milk, and soy also has powerful LDL-reducing properties. You can also find it in tofu, which makes an excellent substitute for meat. Red meat is particularly high in saturated fat and can increase your LDL levels.
You could also try eating fish once or twice a week instead of meat. Not only does it have less LDL than meat, but it is high in omega-3 fatty acids. These are a good type of fat that can protect the heart and help reduce triglycerides in your blood, which are closely related to cholesterol.
Then there’s the food that doesn’t have any cholesterol at all. Honey has zero cholesterol, and it may also have a protective effect that extends to your blood vessels when they get clogged by fatty substances. That’s on top of how it helps heal wounds, reduces stomach issues and even has a positive impact on the brain. It’s one of the healthiest ways to add a little sweetness to your life and is often better than sugar.
Trying to reduce your cholesterol doesn’t mean emptying your diet of everything interesting. It just means thinking a bit more carefully about what you eat, what you can substitute and how to ensure everything is still tasty.
