Omega 3 And Cholesterol   by Sandy Rutherforde

in Health / Nutrition    (submitted 2012-02-10)

Heart health is very important and one of the best ways to lower your cholesterol is to improve your diet. Studies have shown that tossing out bad foods and incorporating healthier options can reduce your cholesterol by as much as 20 percent. The key is to not eat foods that are high in saturated fats and trans fats. Saturated fats are typically found in meat products, full-fat dairy, and some plant based oils.

Trans fats can be found in foods like cookies, cakes, crackers, and margarine. Both trans fats and saturated fats raise bad cholesterol levels and should be avoided or eaten sparingly. Fat is an important part of our diet so instead try to add good fats to your diet along with a few other tips that will ensure that your numbers go down and you may even be able to lessen your dependence on medications. It is important to understand the relationship between Omega 3 and cholesterol.

High fiber foods such as oatmeal, apples, pears, prunes, barley, and kidney beans all contain soluble fiber which helps lower the absorption of cholesterol in your blood.

Omega 3 fatty acids such as fish are a very heart healthy food. Omega 3 fatty acids can also help lower blood pressure. The fish that contain the highest amounts of Omega 3 fatty acids are: herring, salmon, lake trout, mackerel, albacore tuna, halibut, and sardines. Bake or grill the fish in order to prevent the addition of any unhealthy fats. Omega 3 and cholesterol go hand in hand.

Unsalted nuts such as almonds, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, pistachio nuts, and peanuts can help to lower blood cholesterol because nuts are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids. Doctors recommend only a handful a day because of their high caloric value.

Olive oil has been shown to help reduce cholesterol levels. Extra virgin olive oil has the most nutritional benefits and about two tablespoons a day should provide individuals with the heart healthy benefits that they need.

Exercise

Physical activity is imperative for lowering cholesterol. When a person is inactive for extended periods of time it can lead to weight gain which can help to increase unhealthy cholesterol. Start out slow and slowly increase your workout times. Ideally, you should be getting at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. Eating a proper diet combined with exercise will help those excess pounds melt off of your body over time. You will begin to feel and look a lot better also.

Establish a Routine

Once it has been established that you need to bring down your numbers in order to maintain your health, you should establish a routine in order to make sure that your cholesterol numbers do not spike again. What this entails is again, incorporating a good diet into your eating habits and especially remember the relationship between Omega 3 and cholesterol. You should not look at these changes in your diet as a diet, but instead a lifestyle change. This way you will shift your thinking into knowing that these eating changes will be for a lifetime. The same goes with exercising. In doing so, you will be able to manage your cholesterol a lot better.

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