Reduce Cholesterol with Simple Dietary Changes

High cholesterol is a key risk factor for heart disease. It creates fatty deposits in blood cells, which can thicken artery walls and narrow artery pathways, slowing blood flow down and making it difficult for blood and oxygen to get where they need to go. When blood doesn’t reach the heart quickly and efficiently, heart attacks can occur.

A Lifestyle, Not a Diet

“Eating a varied diet of whole foods—including fiber-rich produce such as beans, as well as nuts, lean protein, and whole grains—is the ideal way to improve overall health,” says Rachel Lustgarten, a registered dietitian nutritionist at Weill Cornell Medicine. “You will naturally reduce dietary salt, sugar, and fat without the need to count every calorie or pore over every ingredient label.”

Here are some ways to make easy adjustments.

Replace high-sodium foods with low-sodium or homemade meals. Your maximum daily sodium requirement is 2,300 milligrams (mg) a day—slightly less than one teaspoon—or 1,500 mg—about two-thirds of a teaspoon—if you’re at risk of heart disease. The best way to reduce sodium is to cut out table salt and condiments such as ketchup and soy sauce, and to buy low-sodium products whenever available. Even low-calorie frozen meals such as Lean Cuisine are extremely high in sodium, so it’s better to make meals at home and freeze them yourself.

To enhance foods, try adding flavors such as garlic or onion powder, chili peppers, or lemon pepper zest. Once you’ve determined the flavors you like, mix them together and pour the mix into your empty salt shaker where they’ll always be handy.

Replace processed sugars with fresh fruit. Instead of a cookie or bowl of ice cream, reach for fresh fruit; then sprinkle it with cinnamon, mint, or stevia. Switch your morning doughnut or bagel with Greek yogurt and berries. If a restaurant doesn’t have fresh fruit on the dessert menu, ask. “Replacing processed snacks, treats, and convenience items with a piece of fruit can help reset one’s palate to better appreciate fruit’s natural sweetness,” says Lustgarten.

Replace refined foods with whole grains. “Increased dietary fiber intake is associated with a significantly lower prevalence of cardiovascular disease and lower LDL-cholesterol levels,” Lustgarten says. High-fiber foods include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans. Sprinkle your whole-grain oats or whole-grain ready-to-eat cereal with ground flaxseeds or chia seeds. Choose sweet potatoes over white potatoes. Add beans and dark leafy greens to salads. Eat cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale). Snack on fruits with edible peels such as apples and pears, or nuts or quinoa crackers.

Replace saturated fats with plant-based fats. Substitute fatty fish (salmon, mackeral, sardines, anchovies, tuna), or poultry (grilled or baked chicken or turkey) in place of red and processed meats at least two to three times a week. Make fried foods a rare treat rather than a regular occurrence. Replace full-fat cheese with low-fat or fat-free cheese (just 1½ oz. daily) and replace butter with a plant-based spread. Use low-fat or fat-free salad dressing or make your own with an olive oil base and cook with olive oil or a plant-based cooking spray instead of butter.

“Amp up salads with beans, grilled fish, and baked tofu; replace deli meats on chef salads with drained canned tuna, fresh turkey or chicken, and nuts,” says Lustgarten. Walnuts have been shown to lower triglycerides, but should be consumed in moderation.

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