Lower Cholesterol With Food

Too much cholesterol in the blood can lead to heart disease and stroke, but there are ways to take charge of your cholesterol level through diet. By focusing on eating low-saturated-fat and trans fat-free foods, you can begin a healthier lifestyle. Losing excess weight, exercising and understanding cholesterol’s role in your body can also help you on the path to better health. 

Deborah Kurzrock, R.D., a registered dietitian who works in Radiation Oncology at the Dorothy E. Schneider Cancer Center in San Mateo, says making a commitment to lower your cholesterol means adopting new healthy habits, such as cooking at home and monitoring your portions.

“If you change the way you eat, it’s going to change your lifestyle,” Kurzrock says. “Your schedule will need to incorporate time for food preparation, eating at planned mealtimes and exercising.”

To help you get started, Kurzrock outlines the foods you should and shouldn’t put on your plate:

What to Eat

• Four to five servings of fruits and vegetables per day.
• Five to six ounces of lean meats and skinless poultry each day.
• Four to five servings each week of nuts, seeds and legumes.
• Six to eight servings of whole grains each day, such as brown rice, oatmeal and quinoa.
• Two to three servings per day of nonfat or low-fat milk products.
• At least two servings of fatty fish each week, such as salmon, mackerel, anchovies, herring and sardines. Look at the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch recommendations to see which fish are the best to consume based on sustainability and health.
• Choose egg whites every other day instead of eating the entire egg each day.

What to Eliminate or Limit

• Processed or packaged foods.
• Whole milk, cream, ice cream, sour cream, cream cheese and cheese.
• Oil, margarine, butter and mayonnaise should be limited to one or two tablespoons per day.
• High-fat processed meats such as hamburgers, hot dogs, sausage, cold cuts, bacon, ribs, salami, bologna, pastrami and marbled cuts of beef and lamb.
• Organ meats such as liver, sweetbreads, kidney and brain.
• Fried foods, pastries, cookies and candies.
• Saturated oils such as coconut oil, palm oil and kernel oil.
• Solid fats such as shortening and lard.
• High-fructose corn syrup, which is found in sodas, breakfast cereals and sports drinks.
• Honey, syrups, jams, jellies and agave syrup.

Choosing Healthy Fats

Our bodies need a certain amount of fat to function properly, so focus on using healthy fats when you cook. Good fats such as omega-3 fatty acids can actually help reduce your cholesterol, control your weight and help you feel full.  Use canola oil, olive oil, flaxseed oil or sesame oil when cooking or dressing a salad. You can also eat avocados, nuts and seeds or natural-style nut butters to get your daily dose of healthy fats. When preparing food use heart healthy cooking tips such as baking your food instead of frying it. Make sure to trim any excess fat off your meat before cooking.

Kurzrock suggests eating as if you are a vegan or a vegetarian for half the week, limiting your red meat intake to no more than 18 ounces per week. Try going meatless on Mondays or even adopting the Mediterranean Diet, which incorporates red meat on rare occasions. This will help reduce your overall fat intake, and in turn reduce your cholesterol.

Set Yourself Up for Success

To set yourself up for success, Kurzrock says it’s a good idea to purge your refrigerator and pantry of any high-fat, processed foods that are especially tempting.

“A lot of people torture themselves by keeping chips and cookies in their pantry. Don’t do that to yourself. You have to do what you can to help yourself sustain a healthy lifestyle,” she says.

That also means doing things like not grocery shopping when you are hungry, as you will be tempted to make unhealthy impulse purchases. You also need to make sure you have a consistent eating schedule.

“Try not to go more than four hours without eating as this will help keep your blood sugar in better control. You’ll make wiser food decisions if your blood sugar level stays balanced,” she says.

Beyond the Kitchen

Learn more about exercise and how it helps your heart fend off heart disease and strokes.  Also find out how to get the most out of your workout.