10 Foods That Can Lower Your Cholesterol

Low cholesterol foods

Had your annual physical lately? Here's a reason why you should: Even if you eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly, your cholesterol might be higher than you'd like.

Janis Jilbrin, R.D., co-author of The Life You Want! Get Motivated, Lose Weight and Be Happy (Simon & Schuster 2011, co-authored with Bob Greene and psychologist Anne Kearney-Cooke), explains the deal with cholesterol and what foods you can eat to help keep yours down.

What would cause your cholesterol to be high in the first place? "Sometimes having high LDL -- the "bad" cholesterol -- is genetic," says Jilbrin. LDL stands for low-density lipoprotein, and it's considered the "bad" cholesterol, Jilbrin explains, because it takes fat and deposits it into your arteries. That's the cholesterol you want to keep "down."

Then there's the "good" cholesterol, called HDL (high-density lipoprotein), which travels in your bloodstream and removes the bad cholesterol. You can also be genetically predisposed to having low levels of HDL; other causes, according to Jilbrin, include being overweight or obese, being sedentary, smoking, a high carb intake, having type 2 diabetes and certain drugs, including beta blockers and steroids.

And why should you be worried about any of this? Heart disease -- which, no, you're not too young to worry about. According to Jilbrin, "Arterial plaque can start forming in young adulthood, even in childhood."

Uh oh. She continues: "And trying to fix it once you've had a heart attack or show signs of heart disease never reduces your risk like you would have if you'd taken care of the problem earlier."

Jilbrin says that the most important type of foods to eat to keep your cholesterol levels healthy are "viscous fibers." Sounds ... gross? Don't worry, they're actually tasty. Here's a list of some yummy viscous fibers:

    * Barley
    * Oatmeal
    * Oat bran
    * Ground psyllium seeds
    * Apples
    * Oranges
    * Prunes
    * Legumes (beans, peas, lentils)
    * Brussels sprouts

Viscous fibers work, Jilbrin explains, for two reasons: First, they trap some of the fat and cholesterol from your diet, sending it out of the body before it can be absorbed.

Second: "Your body uses bile acids, made from cholesterol, to break down the fat you eat, so it can be absorbed in the intestines," Jilbrin explains. "Once the bile acid is secreted in the intestine and does its work breaking down fat, most of the bile acids are reabsorbed." Are you with us so far? "But viscous fibers block some of that reabsorption, so, in order to create more bile acid, the body draws from cholesterol in the blood, thus lowering LDL (the "bad" cholesterol)."

Almonds, while not viscous fibers, are also good to eat, notes Jilbrin, because they contain a monounsaturated fat and a plant sterol, both of which lower LDL.

Of course -- it's not just what you eat. Maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding saturated fats and staying active, says Jilbrin, are also super important to keeping your cholesterol levels -- and your heart -- healthy.

Article by Youbeauty

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Jillian Michaels: Foods That Burn Fat

Daily weight-loss Dose With Jillian Michaels

On 'Daily Dose With Jillian Michaels,' Jillian highlights a few foods that can help dieters burn fat and possibly even boost metabolism. Here's her list.

When you're trying to lose weight, your daily calorie intake is like walking a tightrope: Consume too many calories, and you'll hit a weight-loss plateau or even gain weight, consume too few calories, and your metabolism will stall. And once you slow your metabolism, getting back to your original rate of calorie burning can be tough, if not impossible.

Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to keep your metabolism on track and your body burning fat. Although there's only one true way to increase your basal metabolic rate, which is the rate your body naturally burns calories (by increasing your body's muscle mass), the foods you choose can help with the fat-burning process.

In a recent episode of Daily Dose With Jillian Michaels, Jillian and her co-host Janice reviewed a few of the top foods that can help burn fat, thanks to their antioxidants and hormone-regulating properties. Here's a look at a few of Jillian's favorite fat-burning foods.

Green tea: Studies have shown that regular consumption of green tea can moderately promote weight and fat loss. The secret to green tea's fat-burning power is its catechins, the antioxidants in tea that combat free radicals and promote healthy cells. One cup of green tea contains between 50 to 100 milligrams of catechins, and most research shows that you must drink about five cups of green tea every day to see a fat-burning effect.

"It can’t hurt if you just sip it all day," Jillian says. "It keeps you hydrated, and you get all those antioxidants and their cancer-fighting effects."

Omega-3 fatty acids: A daily dose of omega-3 fatty acids, whether through a supplement or a natural source such as salmon, boosts weight-loss efforts when combined with exercise more than exercise alone, a study at the University of South Australia found. Researchers say this is because omega-3s are polyunsaturated fats that can boost fat oxidation, but that exercise is also required to reap this benefit. Studies have shown that just a few servings of fish per week can help with fat loss in lieu of supplementation.

Pistachio nuts: The simple act of swapping pistachios for your other favorite salty snacks has been shown to produce weight loss, with no additional effort required. A recent study also demonstrated that pistachios can improve symptoms of metabolic syndrome, such as blood pressure, insulin levels, and blood glucose levels.

"The other thing about pistachios is that it takes a while to open them up, and it’s going to slow your eating down," Jillian says. "You’re not going to house a giant bag of nuts like you would chips."

Pomegranate:  Both pomegranate and pomegranate oil have been shown to help burn fat in overweight people and reduce inflammation in the body, which can lower risk for heart disease and cancer. Some recent studies have even found that eating pomegranates may help prevent obesity and diabetes in both mice and humans.

"These little guys are anti-inflammatory and antioxidant bombs," Jillian says, "which is great for your overall health." 

News by Everydayhealth

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