Diet Food

You have just finished that business dinner where you did a lot more talking than eating. You are just starving, as you make your way back to your hotel room. On the way you see a beacon of hope for your hunger in the form of a giant fast food sign. Oh boy, finally some real food! As you get ready to place your order you initially think one the heart healthy alternatives might be just what you need, then at the last moment you decide on a couple of burgers with cheese and fries, with a dessert cup thrown for good measure. You pick up the food at the drive through and immediately devour those tasty delights.

We have all fallen victim to some form of the story above, and recognize that a steady diet of burgers, cheese, and fries along with a high saturated fat desserts will likely send us to the emergency room at some point. But what you may not know is that even if you were to order a fast food healthy option it likely would all that many food sources for good cholesterol and even if it did dressings and other high saturated fat topping would likely minimize any benefit!

So what is good cholesterol anyway?

Good cholesterol is often abbreviated HDLs. HDLs stands for high density lipoproteins which are tiny molecules which carry cholesterol away from the heart and back to the liver to be disposed of. It is generally thought that by having excess cholesterol flowing away from your heart and ultimately being disposed of in the form of solid waste a person can substantially reduce their chances of heart attack or stroke.

What are some of the best food sources of good cholesterol?

Generally, speaking there are three types of foods that are valuable in reducing and managing cholesterol. They are those that are high in omega 3 fatty acids, those that are high in certain antioxidants such as resveratrol, and those that are rich in cholesterol absorbing soluble fiber.

Here is list of 20 foods that fall into one of these three categories that will help you build a strong foundation for achieving your cholesterol reduction goals: baked salmon, canned albacore tune in water, sardines packed in water, pomegranates, apples, pears, oat meal, oat bran, dark skinned grapes, walnuts, almonds, blueberries, black beans, avocados, olive oil, foods fortified with plant stanols and sterols, tofu, sweet potatoes, barley, and carrots.

Of these food sources which ones are considered healthy food sources of good cholesterol (HDL)?

While the research is a little sketchy in this area research suggests that walnuts, cold water fatty fish, apples and pears, blueberries, and dark skinned grapes (or 1 or 2 glasses of red wine daily) are in fact healthy food sources for good cholesterol.

What else? Many natural health minded individuals are finding that by combining healthy food sources of good cholesterol with natural cholesterol reduction supplements they are able to achieve even better and longer lasting results.

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