Natural Diet To Lower Cholesterol
If you want to lower and maintain your cholesterol level, the best thing for you to do is to turn to a natural diet. It’s simple, convenient and best of all, available in large quantities. By simply reducing the amount of processed foods in your diet, you can significantly lower your blood cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart diseases.
What is natural?
Natural is quite simply, unadulterated, unprocessed foods. These are the foods you eat in their natural state, often raw or fresh. If you take a bite out of a fresh apple, for example, you’re eating natural food. If you take that apple, slice it up, add syrup, butter and sugar and bake it in a pie crust, you turn the apple from a natural food to a processed food. By simply allowing it to undergo heating and adding some ingredients, the natural becomes adulterated.
However, some foods in their natural state come to us canned or bottled. While they may have lost some of their nutrients, they are still a better choice compared to foods that have undergone extensive processing. Here are some of the sources of natural foods to add to your diet and help lower your cholesterol:
Fiber
Some of the best sources of fiber are found in whole grains, cereals and oatmeal. For a natural diet, choose unprocessed grains and wheat bran for more roughage and high fiber content. Fiber is effective in lowering cholesterol levels and keeping your intestines from absorbing too much fat and sugar.
How much to get: a cup of natural fiber is enough to help lower your cholesterol level by about 5%. Go for cereals that contain oats, psyllium, flaxseed or whole grains.
Fish
Fish contain a type of good fat known as Omega-3 fatty acids. These keep the blood from clotting, making sure that blood flow is smooth and healthy. Omega-3s are also known for keeping blood fat levels low.
How much to get: serve broiled, baked or grilled fish at least 3 times a week. It’s also a good idea to substitute fish for other animal protein meals when dining out to keep your natural diet low in cholesterol. Choose fatty fish such as albacore, sardines, herring and salmon and serve baked, grilled or steamed.
Soy
Soy is another food product that can be easily integrated into your daily diet to lower your cholesterol. While some soy products undergo processing, they retain the healthful qualities that make soy a favorite among heart-watchers. The reason is probably because of naturally-occurring compounds known as isoflavones, which have been shown to regulate the levels of cholesterol in the body. A study conducted in 1998 showed that isoflavones helped lower cholesterol levels from 5% to 10%.
How much to get: a natural diet to lower cholesterol should contain at least 25g of soy protein daily. Soy protein can be found in soy milk, tofu, tempeh and soy meat substitutes.
Fruits
Fruits are a wonderful source of fiber and water. As part of your natural diet plan, they not only help you lower cholesterol, they also help you bulk up and supply your body with water. Use as dessert or snacks between meals.
How much to get: eat as much as you like. Fruits such as oranges, raspberries, strawberries, currants, grapes and blackberries not only contain fiber, they are also rich in Vitamin C, folic acid and carotenoids.
Processed foods will continue to compete with natural foods for a long time to come. However, that shouldn’t mean you have no choice to live a healthy life. Choosing foods in their natural form will do wonders for your health and that of your family.