A well-rounded healthy eating plan is one essential component in the fight to lower your cholesterol levels. The aim is to have an overall cholesterol level below 200, according to the American Heart Association. This is important because high cholesterol has been associated with a greater risk of stroke and heart disease. Dietary changes can help lower your cholesterol levels, but keep in mind that what you eat is not the only solution.
High-Fiber Diets
The National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine recommends that adults consume at least 25 and up to 38 g of fiber each day. Diets high in fiber have many health benefits, including the ability to lower LDL (or "bad") cholesterol levels. In effect, fiber binds to the cholesterol and flushes it from your body. Examples of high-fiber diets include the American Heart Association eating plan, the Mediterranean diet and the Mayo Clinic weight-management program. It's simple to add extra fiber by eating items such as slow-cooked oatmeal; whole grain breads, pasta and cereals; brown rice; and plenty of fruits and vegetables. Try substituting a black bean burger for a hamburger once a week to consume more plant-based foods. Gradually switch from bleached white pasta to whole grain pasta by mixing half of each until your taste buds adjust to the richer, nuttier texture.
Meat-Free Diets
Cholesterol only comes from eating meat and animal by-products. Diets like the Mediterranean diet allow meat but only minimally. In contrast, a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet eschews all meat products (but still allows dairy and eggs). The emphasis in that diet is on grains, beans, nuts, seeds and plenty of fruits and vegetables. It is very similar to a high-fiber diet and for that reason has many heart-healthy benefits. Because vegetarians only consume dietary cholesterol from animal by-products (butter, milk, cheese, etc), they have lower overall cholesterol levels (161 on average) than meat eaters who generally have a cholesterol level around 210. To take this meatless diet one step further, a vegan would not eat any meat or any animal by-products. Because of this strict anti-animal diet, an average vegan has a cholesterol level of 133. Due to this low number, there's a strong chance that most vegans will never suffer a heart attack.
Lifestyle
A sensible diet alone is not enough to combat high cholesterol numbers. You must also aim for more exercise, bring your weight into a healthy range, quit smoking and decrease alcohol consumption. All of these influence your health and it takes a multifaceted approach to bring your cholesterol numbers down. You don't need to lose 50 lbs.; sometimes even 5 or 10 lbs is all it takes to lower your LDL cholesterol. You don't need to run a marathon to fulfill the exercise requirement. Simply walking for 30 minutes a day can be extremely helpful.
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