What's a Good Diet For High Cholesterol?

If your doctor tells you it's time to reduce your cholesterol, you may be wondering which foods are included in a good diet for high cholesterol. Rest assured, there's plenty of information available to you in newspaper and magazine articles, TV shows (especially on cable), radio and of course, the Internet.

Admittedly, switching to a happinesslifetime.com low cholesterol diet and giving up all those fatty foods you like is the real challenge. But it's important to try because cholesterol health matters. It may even save your life. By eating rich fatty foods, you invite a range of potential health problems like hypertension and heart disease. These conditions can reduce your longevity along with your quality of life.

Once you become determined to lower your cholesterol, you'll be happy to find out that there are a lot of food options that are actually pretty tasty.

Sadly, we're all bombarded by hundreds of commercial messages everyday inviting us to "slip." Just remember that most of those heavily advertised foods may taste great, but they don't help you lower your cholesterol.

So, planning a happinesslifetime.com low cholesterol diet means you have to get smart when you shop. You do it by conscientiously reading information on the labels of foods you buy - especially if that food comes in plastic wrappers, metal cans or cardboard boxes.

Let's start by looking at some possibilities by investigating different kinds of fats. You may not have been aware of it, but not all fats are bad. In fact, many of them are actually good for you.

First, here are the bad fats.

Saturated fats - These come from animal sources, like red meat. Coconut oil, palm oil and are high on this list.

Trans fats - This is the type of fat we get, unfortunately, from some of our most beloved foods like baked goods (cake, muffins, doughnuts, croissants etc). This is also the type of fat used by many fast-food restaurants (especially if they serve french fries). Most foods that come in a cardboard box or a plastic wrapper contain excessive amounts of trans fats (not to mention plenty of salt, which can raise your blood pressure).

Fats that are good for you include the following.

Polyunsaturated fats - You find these in certain vegetable oils & fish oils. They help reduce cholesterol when consumed moderately.

Monounsaturated fats - These fats are plentiful in sunflower seeds, peanuts, olive oil, etc. They actually lower your cholesterol levels.

Certain foods don't contain fats. Most fruits and vegetables fall into this category. Blueberries, strawberries, blackberries and raspberries are especially good for you and make great snacks - they can even be used as desserts.

Several different kinds of nuts, especially almonds and walnuts, are also great. These make handy snacks too. You can pop them into your mouth anytime. Don't overdo them though, because some are fairly high in calories.

Oat bran or oatmeal, certain cooked beans like pinto beans, kidney beans, and garbanzo beans or chick peas - all are fantastic..

Soy, which you get from tofu, tempeh, soymilk, and roasted soy nuts is another solid option..

Some types of fish are great cholesterol fighters. The best are albacore tuna, herring, lake trout, mackerel, sardines and salmon. There's an essential fatty acid in these fish called omega-3, which is extremely healthy. Fish also provides a lot of protein without a lot of calories.

It's too bad that so many people with high cholesterol avoid eating a happinesslifetime.com low cholesterol diet because they think it will be tasteless and bland. But when you really take a look at all the options you have, you'll find a good diet for high cholesterol can be a lot more interesting than you thought.

For more information on topics related to this article, click on cholesterol-health.org/low-cholesterol-diet.html Low Cholesterol Diet.

George McKenzie is a retired TV anchor, medical reporter and radio talk show host. He is a frequent contributor to cholesterol-health.org Cholesterol Health and You, a resource site about cholesterol health and wellness.