Lower Cholesterol Naturally with Healthy Foods. When a diagnosis of high cholesterol is given, consider ways to. Most people that adopt a stringent health regimen will significantly lower their cholesterol in a natural, safe way, without the use of potentially dangerous prescription drugs. In most cases, your physician should recommend lifestyle changes that will not only improve your cholesterol levels, but also will also generally improve your health. Expert advice on Cholesterol in our diets, foods high low in cholesterol, plant stanols or sterols and cholesterol food myths on eggs, prawns, kidneys liver. Sweet Bread Recipe. Too much cholesterol in the arteries can block blood flow, leading to serious issues. Learn about cholesterol, fats, and cholesterolfriendly foods. Whittle your cholesterol, lower your blood pressure, and keep your heart healthy with these amazing artery defenders. The Worlds Healthiest Foods are healthpromoting foods that can change your life. Try the exciting new lunch recipe from Day 3 of our upcoming 7Day Meal Plan. When embracing a new lifestyle, it is important to know what cholesterol is, the different types of cholesterol, how they relate to each other, what they contribute to your general health as well as natural ways to lower cholesterol. Find answers to these questions on this page. LDL Cholesterol The Bad Cholesterol. Cholesterol, also known as lipoprotein, is an essential fat that is both produced by our bodies in the liver, as well as obtained from the food we consume. While cholesterol is necessary in our bodies as it supports the bodys cell membranes, too much of the wrong kind of cholesterol is dangerous. Low density lipoprotein, or LDL, tends to deposit in the walls of arteries, a process that can start as early as childhood. What too Much LDL Does to Your Body. In an attempt to protect the blood vessels, the bodys white blood cells try to digest LDL, and during the process, convert LDL to an oxidized, toxic form. As more white blood cells and LDL converge in the blood vessels, a steady low grade inflammation occurs in the artery walls. The ongoing process of LDL buildup and oxidation creates bumps in the artery walls, called plaque. As plaque builds up in the artery walls, it can grow to critical levels even to completely blocking the vessel, causing a heart attack as the required blood can no longer flow to the heart. We want to share with you how to lower cholesterol levels naturally without medication or statins. Click here to read about it. Strictly avoiding all fats is not the answer to lowering high cholesterol naturally. These top cholesterollowering foods taste great and lower inflammation. Another danger of LDL and plaque buildup is the risk of the surface of the plaque rupturing, resulting in a blood clot, which also causes a heart attack. So decreasing your LDL levels is extremely important. Healthy and Unhealthy Levels of LDL Cholesterol. Here are the levels of LDL cholesterol and what they mean Less than 1. L of LDL is optimal 1. L of LDL is near optimal 1. L of LDL is borderline high 1. L of LDL is high 1. L is very high. High levels of LDL cholesterol significantly raise your risk for heart attacks, although your own risk of heart disease plays a significant part in determining where your LDL levels should be. Your doctor will help you determine your risk for heart disease, and help you determine for which LDL level you want. Foods-to-Help-lower-Cholesterol-03-722x406.jpg' alt='Cholesterol Reducing Foods' title='Cholesterol Reducing Foods' />HDL Cholesterol The Good Cholesterol. This high density lipoprotein, or HDL, is essential to the bodys function and is the bodys first line of self defense against LDL cholesterol. Traveling through the bloodstream, HDL removes LDL cholesterol from arteries, transporting it to the liver to be reprocessed. HDL also scrubs the blood vessels clean of LDL to keep them healthy during a chemical process. HDL acts in a variety of ways to reduce the risk of heart disease, so maintaining high levels of HDL is very important. Healthy and Unhealthy Levels of HDL Cholesterol. Here are the levels of HDL and what they mean 6. L of HDL is optimal 5. L of HDL is moderate 4. L is very low. Increasing your HDL levels along with decreasing your LDL levels is essential to lowering your risk of heart attack and heart disease. Let us examine the ways to lower cholesterol naturally. A List of Foods to Avoid High Cholesterol. A diet low in cholesterol is the first change to make, and knowing what foods to avoid is critical to improve health and to lower cholesterol naturally. Saturated fat also raises LDL cholesterol levels, which means that it is important to significantly lower the amount of saturated fat that you consume. Below are the most common foods to avoid that are high in saturated fat and or cholesterol Red Meat. A major source of dietary cholesterol, red meat also contains high levels of saturated fat. To lower cholesterol naturally trying to reduce or eliminate your intake of red meat is vital, as well as changing the kinds of red meat and cooking styles. When on occasion you do eat red meat, choose lean cuts of meat, with all visible fat trimmed off. Instead of using sauces for flavorings, grill and use herbs and spices. In general, choose smaller portions of red meat when you do eat it. Egg Yolks. Eggs contain very high levels of cholesterol, but only in the yolk. Reducing or eliminating the consumption of egg yolk will lower your cholesterol consumption. Many foods, such as ice cream, cakes, cookies, etc., contain eggs, so use discretion when eating these foods as well. Most recipes are easily modified using egg whites instead of the entire egg so you may lower cholesterol naturally. Dairy Products. Ice cream, milk, sour cream, cheese, butter and other dairy products contain high levels of saturated fat and cholesterol. Instead of full fat options, choose low or non fat options to reduce the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol you consume. Fast Food. High in total fat, fast foods such as hamburgers, fries, tacos and fried chicken are also extremely high in saturated fat. Try to completely avoid fast food restaurants, but when you cant, foods that are low in saturated fat and cholesterol, such as salads with low fat dressings, broiled chicken sandwiches, and foods that are not fried. Refuse cheese and mayonnaise for your meal in order to lower cholesterol naturally. Pre Packaged Foods. These foods are notorious for poor nutrition. Crackers, chips and cookies often contain high levels of saturated fat and hydrogenated fat and should be avoided whenever possible. Processed Meats. Sorry, there is no way around it fatty and processed meats such as hot dogs, sausage, bacon, bologna and bacon should also be avoided. Organ Meats. Kidney, liver and brain are all significant sources of cholesterol and should be avoided if you want to lower cholesterol naturally. A List of Cholesterol Lowering Foods. In the fight to lower cholesterol naturally, not only will avoiding certain foods lower your bad LDL cholesterol, eating particular other foods will lower your cholesterol, as well as raise your good HDL cholesterol levels. Some of these naturally lowering cholesterol foods are Foods High in Soluble Fiber. Kidney beans, barley, prunes, apples, pears and especially oatmeal are high in soluble fiber. Consuming these and other foods high in fiber on a daily basis has proven to lower cholesterol naturally, by reducing the absorption of cholesterol in the bloodstream. Foods High in Omega 3 Fatty Acids. Wild caught fish, such as salmon, mackerel, halibut and tuna are high in omega 3 fatty acids, which reduces blood pressure and the lowers the risk of developing blood clots. Other cholesterol lowering foods with significant amounts of omega 3 fatty acids are flaxseed, chia seed and grape leaves. Nuts. Raw nuts such as walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts and pecans are high in polyunsaturated fats, which keep your blood vessels healthy and lower your risk for heart disease. Nuts are high in calories, so portions should be limited to one serving of raw nuts per day to lower cholesterol naturally. Olive Oil. This heart healthy oil is a good source of antioxidants that help to lower your LDL cholesterol levels and increase your HDL levels. Olive oil is an excellent replacement oil in your diet, and eating up to two tablespoons a day is recommended to lower cholesterol naturally. Garlic. Taken in its raw form, garlic will to help lower cholesterol. Berries. High in antioxidants, strawberries, blackberries and especially blueberries will help lower cholesterol naturally. Plant Sterol and Stanol Fortified Foods. Now available in orange juice, yogurt drinks and margarine spreads, plant derived sterol and stanol fortified foods have proven effective in lowering cholesterol levels. Ways to Lower Your Cholesterol.