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5 Ways To Help Manage Cholesterol Levels
For people battling high cholesterol, choosing meals wisely can be a challenge, but it is essential. Restaurants, parties, even seemingly healthy take-outmay present unhealthy temptations. But simple dietary modifications can help you eliminate those unhealthy choices:
- Reduce sugar and flour. Recent research indicates that added sweeteners and flour-based carbohydrates, which are far too abundant in the American diet, are major contributors to obesity and heart disease, likely due to their effect on insulin levels. Be aware of the flour-based foods that may seem less obvious, such as breads, tortilla chips and cereals, as they are all high carbohydrate foods. As far as your cholesterol profile goes, they will raise your triglycerides and likely contribute to LDL increases as well. Recent research suggests that higher non-HDL cholesterol, comprised solely of LDL and triglycerides connect strongly to heart disease risk.
- Avoid trans-fat. Stay away from items that list “hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil” on the label, especially snack foods such as chips or popcorn. Try baked or air-popped versions instead.
- Use fresh garlic regularly in your meals. Garlic has been shown to help lower cholesterol levels. Use one or two chopped cloves daily.
- Drink green tea daily. The antioxidants in green tea help lower cholesterol and prevent the cholesterol in your blood from oxidizing.
- Eat plenty of soluble fiber. It has a powerful cholesterol-lowering effect. The best sources are beans and lentils, apples, citrus fruits, oats, barley, peas, carrots and freshly ground flaxseed.
In addition, aim for a morepeaceful, healthy lifestyle. There is quite a bit of data connecting stress, both physical and emotional, to elevated cholesterol levels. We talk about relaxation a lot, but rarely do we think of it as a way to lower cholesterol.
Also be sure to talk to your doctor about some of the newer and likely more predictive blood data assessing cardiovascular risk. ApoB is gradually replacing a traditional cholesterol panel for risk assessment in the data, cardiac or high sensitivity C-Reactive Protein can help assess the inflammation levels related to heart attack risk and Lipoprotein (a) or Lp(a) is a genetic marker that predicts risk beyond a fasting lipid panel as well. Also talk to your doctor about a coronary calcium CT scan that most hospitals offer for under $100 as a way to assess cardiovascular risk, particularly if you have had a history of mild to moderate cholesterol elevation.
The post 5 Ways To Help Manage Cholesterol Levels appeared first on DrWeil.com.
* This article was originally published here
Saturday, February 8, 2025
Pasta Love Try These 5 Healthy Pasta Tips
Quality carbohydrates are an essential part of a balanced, healthful diet. If pasta is your go-to carb, there are ways to take advantage of this low-cost food to make it even healthier:
- Choose organic pasta, rice noodles, bean thread noodles and noodles such as Japanese udon and soba, which are part whole wheat and buckwheat. There are now a number of bean-based pastas which have the advantage of lower carbohydrates and higher protein than traditional wheat-based versions. They are also gluten-free if you have found gluten to be bothersome to your digestive tract or overall health.
- Cook pasta only until it is al dente (barely tender). When it is cooked this way, it achieves a lower glycemic index than fully cooked pasta because the pulverized grain digests slowly in the stomach. (Low-glycemic-load carbohydrates should be the bulk of your carbohydrate intake to help minimize rapid rises in blood glucose levels.)
- Skip the creamy sauces – they can provide unhealthy hydrogenated fats as well as excess saturated fats and more calories than traditional tomato-based sauces and added vegetables. An additional advantage of tomato sauces is the lycopene, one of a number of healthful antioxidants we should include in our daily intake.
- Aim for two to three servings per week. One serving is equal to about 1/2 cup cooked pasta, which is far less than the amount Americans typically eat. Think of pasta as a side dish as opposed to a main course.
- Try spaghetti squash – the pulp of this vegetable, after being cooked, teases out like spaghetti and is a great and healthful alternative to flour-based pastas. Another creative replacement allows you to make “zoodles” from zucchini with a spiralizer.
And don’t forget that pasta is the perfect complement to vegetables – you can toss in almost any lightly steamed vegetable and low-to-no sugar added tomato sauce for additional nutrients and antioxidants.
See more pasta recipes and try the Broccoli Pasta recipe!
The post Pasta Love Try These 5 Healthy Pasta Tips appeared first on DrWeil.com.
* This article was originally published here
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