I’ve got some great info today to help you show your heart some love! Most of the time when it comes to health and fitness, we talk about what NOT to eat. Today I’m flipping that and focusing on WHAT to eat to help lower your LDL (aka “bad” or “lousy”) cholesterol.
This matters because when you have too much LDL cholesterol in your body, it can build up in the walls of your blood vessels, which can lead to serious health problems like heart disease and stroke.
Before I get into the list, it helps to know a little background about how what you eat affects your cholesterol.
Different foods work to help lower your LDL cholesterol in different ways.
- Some foods contain soluble fiber, which binds to cholesterol in your digestive system and “sweeps” it out of your body before it can get into your circulation and stick to the walls of your blood vessels.
- Some foods contain plant compounds (sterols & stanols), which block your body from absorbing cholesterol in the first place.
- Some foods contain polyunsaturated fats, which directly lower your LDL.
- And some contain a mix of some or all of the above!
10 Foods to Help Lower LDL:
- Whole grains, especially oats & barley
- Beans like lentils, black-eyed peas, and black & kidney beans
- Non-starchy veggies such as broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, etc.
- Dark leafy greens like spinach and kale
- Nuts, especially walnuts and almonds
- Berries and other fruit
- Fatty fish like salmon, sardines, and tuna
- Olive oil
- Avocados
- Tofu and edamame
Start swapping those foods into your diet – by swapping out processed foods! Your heart will thank you for it. ❤️
