If you desire to have a prolonged, robust life, it is crucial to prioritize your heart health. Ensuring that your cholesterol levels remain under control is a vital component of achieving this goal. Failure to maintain healthy cholesterol levels over time can lead to numerous health issues, thereby increasing the likelihood of heart disease, stroke, and other related complications. The good news is that managing your cholesterol levels can be as simple as making a few adjustments to your daily lifestyle. One of the best ways to care for your heart is by including certain foods in your diet that will aid in lowering your cholesterol.
The first step is to incorporate more foods containing soluble fiber into your diet. Fiber is an indispensable part of any healthy eating plan, and it helps regulate blood sugar levels. Additionally, according to Berger, increasing your consumption of soluble fiber can help reduce your cholesterol levels.
“Soluble fiber helps to decrease LDL (bad cholesterol) in your bloodstream,” Berger explains. When you consume high-fiber foods such as oatmeal, bran, beans, barley, apples, pears, and flaxseed, a gel forms around the “bad” cholesterol, making it easy to eliminate from your body. For optimal results, Berger recommends consuming between five and ten grams of soluble fiber per day.
Another way to lower your cholesterol is by consuming more foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids. In addition to soluble fiber, healthy fats are also an excellent type of food to include in your daily diet to help decrease cholesterol levels. “Omega-3 fatty acids aid in reducing triglycerides, which is a common type of fat in the blood that contributes to high cholesterol,” Berger explains.
Thankfully, there are numerous delectable options available, such as fish, flaxseeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds. “Fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, trout, sardines, and herring have the highest amounts of omega-3s,” Berger notes, stating that The American Heart Association recommends consuming fish twice per week.
In conclusion, there are numerous actions you can take to reduce your cholesterol levels, from regular exercise to smoking cessation and limiting alcohol consumption. The food you eat plays a vital role in your heart health, and adding more soluble fiber and omega-3 fatty acids to your diet, as Berger suggests, is an excellent place to start.
