Good Cholesterol Foods

Good Cholesterol Foods : All Fat Is Not Bad

Yes, not all fats are bad. The body does need some good cholesterol foods to manufacture hormones and to build and maintain membranes, and most of the cholesterol we need, is manufactured in the body itself. In fact the body needs both types of cholesterol - the good - HDL, and the bad - LDL. The body is happy to recieve good regular exercise and 'good cholesterol foods'.

Good Cholesterol Foods - Avoid Saturated Oils

75%or more of HDL and LDL are made in our bodies and the rest come from the food we eat. The levels depend upon the kinds of fat we eat. When we eat more of saturated fats, LDL increases. The only foods with cholesterol in them are those that come from animal products. It is always good to eat a balanced diet and not deprive the body of fats and oils.

Calculate your BMI

This is a good way to measure risks of obesity and heart diseases. A BMI between 25 and 29 means that you are overweight.

The right foods help us to remain healthy and help the body to maintain a better HDL LDL ratio. HDL is High density lipoprotein and carries cholesterol away from the blood vessels to the liver. Both LDL and HDL are needed in the body to protect the heart against diseases. HDL and LDL are carriers in our bodies. HDL removes excess fat from the blood and the linings of the arteries and deposits them in the liver. It is from the liver, that it later gets removed.

Some Healthy Foods

Foods High In Omega 3 Fatty Acids

Vegetarian Choices
• flax seed oils
• flaxseeds
• Walnuts
• Cooked Soya beans
• Tofu
• Squash
• other beans

Foods High In Soluble Fibre

• Whole grains
• Oats
• Oat bran
• Wheat bran
• Most brans
• barley
• Brown rice
• Ripe, juicey fruits

Reduce Plaque

Too much of plaque build up on the insides of arteries can lead to high blood pressure. This in turn leads to heart diseases.

An Onion A Day Keeps The Doctor Away

Another quick way to lower LDL is by eating onions regularly. The dark yellow and reds are the best. The sulfur content in onions help increase HDL.

Add healthy oils, healthy oil rich foods to your diet to prevent overeating.

• Use flaxseed oil for salad dressings
• Grapeseed oil
• Olive oil
• Ghee This is a cooking media which helps to maintain a good HDL LDL ratio : Ghee is made from butter and is also known as 'clarified butter' and is used a lot in Indian cooking. Ghee is good in small quantities. Here is how to make ghee.

• Avocado
• Almonds

Foods To Beware Of ...

Food labels mentioning trans fats - unsaturated fats. They are not essential fatty acids and raise the LDL levels. Here are some foods with trans fats: Spreads, soups, packaged foods, baked products, cookies, most fast foods, fried chips, fried potatoes, some salad dressings, frozen foods. These are just some of the commonly eaten foods listed here. Read here for more foods to avoid high cholesterol.

Exercise

Getting plenty of exercise daily, will definitely help in reducing excess fat, or bad cholesterol from the body.