Introduction
It is quite common these days to hear people complain of high cholesterol especially bad cholesterol. This is obviously due to our food choices and lifestyles especially consuming more of animal protein more of highly processed foods and a stressful lifestyle that we live, that is devoid of exercise. All these have contributed to the increase in the number of people with high cholesterol. it is a good idea to try as much as possible to avoid being diagnosed of high cholesterol because cholesterol is not easy to pull down when eventually they gather cholesterol are actually sticky wax that takes time to accumulate and so as they accumulate gradually over time, once they begin to pose problem to our health or present symptoms, Seeking medical attention is not a bad idea but most times after the medical laboratory tests and other investigations we may likely be placed on cholesterol lowering drugs which usually come with its own side effect though we may not be told about the side effect most times. High cholesterol may also trigger some other health problems like heart issues, symptoms of stroke, and even affecting other internal organs without our knowledge, organd like our liver and our kidney although sometimes high cholesterol may present no physical signs and symptoms but if we are alert to the warnings that our body normally send to us and signals, we may discover or suspect when our cholesterol is high and this is particularly common among older adults who are sensitive to what the body is saying to them. Sometimes the cholesterol actually may block blood from flowing to some important areas or organs as you can see in the above image in the diagram above, that is how bad cholesterol behaves they may block the heart or reduce blood flow to the heart, it can also reduce blood supply to some organs in the body and that is why we must make conscious effort to ensure that we do not consume foods that will buildup cholesterol along our arteries which is usually the location where these bad fat usually clog arteries, to avoid these things we must include high antioxidant-rich foods in our daily diet, and other healthy lifestyles.
Here are some common foods that can help lower cholesterol if we suspect high cholesterol, this is also in addition to regular exercise:
1. Avocadoes:
Consuming the fruit or using the oil is one of the top foods that can help to lower blood pressure because of its antioxidants and potassium content potassium is one of the nutrients that most people suffering from high blood pressure and fortunately fruits like avocados supply most of the nutrients that are missing in the diet and yet, it is a raw food because it's not cooked so the body uses it effectively to manage high blood pressure supplying nutrients needed especially when it's taken in moderation because it's a source of Calorie and such foods that are high in calorie must be taken cautiously when managing high cholesterol. High calorie food will not support fight against bad cholesterol when it's much so consuming eat moderately especially using it to replace carbohydrates temporarily temporarily in the diet is another way to deal with high bad cholesterol, it is a smart way to tackle high blood pressure too.
2. Olive oil
Cold pressed olive oil is another very powerful oil that supports good blood circulation and is very high in antioxidants and those who are managing high bad cholesterol must also be careful of fats in their diet because when the arteties are already tensed, bringing in more fats will push on the walls causing the blood pressure to continue to escalate, due to cholesterol blockage, so oils in the diet should be monitored and replaced with only healthy oils especially cold pressed like those found in olive oil the profile that supports good blood pressure and prevent incidences of stroke and other complications arising from clogging of arteries as a result of bad cholesterol.
3. Sardines and other fatty fish
Do not just consume fish, be selective about the fish you consume if you are managing high cholesterol and high blood pressure, you should be deliberate to consume only fatty fish with beneficial nutrients, beneficial anti-inflammatories to fight inflammations which is usually on the high side when managing high blood pressure, sardines without the oil if you can get the fresh sardines fish, good but if not occasional sardines specially sardines in olive oil helps because it's a source of Omega-3 fatty acids which in most cases are missing in the diet and not only that , other fatty fish contains antioxidants that helps to support the building of cells and source of protein too, protein is the building block and the kind of protein in fatty fishes like sardines contains the heme type of iron, which is easily absorbed by the blood and utilised to repair the body so if you are working to lower your blood cholesterol, be selective about the fish. don't just consume fish some fishes can also contribute to clogging of arteries, example of such fishes are cat fish, home-bred catfish Catfish and other common fishes like Titus is like Titus will not help you reduce bad cholesterol.
4. Green Tea:
Inclusion of green tea is also another thing, green tea is very high in antioxidants and polyphenols that helps to break down, bad cholesterol does not happen overnight. takes over some years and breaking them down or taking them out of the body requires heating foods green tea has not only anti-inflammatory properties but also antibacterial properties and that is exactly what you can find in green tea, I will also suggest you get the loose leave than those bags if you can find green teas that are separated in loose leaves or like rolled tea leaves, it a better choice but in the absence of that you can also take the green teas that comes in tea bags, but don't take green tea regularly, don't take it everyday because it is a source of caffeine and much caffeine in the body can increase chances of stroke that is the disadvantage when taken too much, but in moderation or occasionally it is a blood thinner naturally, so it will not thicken the blood in this way, it may prevent risks of stroke which also will work in favour of preventing stroke and other complications arising from high cholesterol and high blood pressure but when you overdo it also it will reduce the the amount of oxygen in the cells which can also predispose the individual to complications such as stroke too.
5. Fresh tomatoes
fresh tomatoes is an arteries clearing food so it's important to include it in the diet, it has fibre that can helps to clean up the arteries and reduce building up of plague and other sticky materials like bad cholesterol around the arteries.
6. Apples and apple cider:
Including apples, especially green apples, it contains pectin, vitamin C and other uncommon nutrients that supports fight against high cholesterol. It is also a source of fibre and also helps to destroy yeast activities, if there is too much fungus in the body, that may also help to strengthen the build up of cholesterol in the body but occasional consumption of green apples in particular or adding apple cider to your warm water in the morning on empty stomach, will reduce chances of building up of cholesterol along the arteries as is always the case.
7. Lemon juice:
Lemon juice and other citrus taken in moderation like half a lemon in warm water water therapy will also prevent the buildup of cholesterol along the arteries with other complications that may come up with it. Lemon juice is a source of vitamin C but if you are not okay taking lemon juice in the morning as some people believe they have ulcer, ensure that you have citrus in your diet at least one of the citrus fruits, like the lemon juice orange, or lime because they contain vitamin C which may contributes in breaking down bad cholesterol.
8. Oregano tea
There are several other teas apart from green tea, that works well too. Oregano tea is one I have discovered recently that will not support high cholesterol buildup too, I don't really need to know how your own body response after taking oregano tea because it's a very warming tea. Love particularly because it is naturally caffeine, so those with high blood pressure may not find it interesting if they take it frequently because it exhibit an effect similar to that of mint oil that is it tends to remove toxins in the body not only removing toxins. It's an expectorant.
8. Oats:
Oats is a source of soluble and insoluble fibre and we are already aware of the role of fibre when dealing with cholesterol, cholesterol may not easily come out without the presence of such fibre helping to pull them out where they are sticking on the walls of the arteries and so fibre like those found in foods like oats, some studies have found out that it contributes to lowering cholesterol and there are other foods with fibre that can help lower cholesterol especially naturally occurring fibre but when taking such foods you must also remember to follow it up with lots of water to avoid it feeding constipation or supporting constipation and when constipation is allowed cholesterol will take advantage of it to remain while suffocating the healthy cells with other toxic materials from the body.
9. Pure Cocoa
Pure cocoa is another healthy food that you need to list out if you are trying to tackle bad cholesterol because it is also a blood thinner and is rich in nutrients with a few healthy fats to support the individual that is managing bad cholesterol only remember not to add milk when you are consuming your pure bitter cocoa for the purpose of lowering cholesterol you can add other spices like cinnamon, or ginger to your cocoa, other things to taste like dates can also be added, tigernut powder if you have it also. It works well when you add some of these spices moderately to your cocoa as a boost, sometimes I do add a little soyabeans powder for added protein, though not always.
10. Nuts like Hazel Nut,
Almond nut, Walnut: we know that nuts generally contribute to a lot of nutrients in our daily diet. Most nuts are good sources of healthy fats, vitamins and minerals and common minerals like zinc, selenium, copper and a host of other minerals that we need for a healthy body when managing cholesterol, you need also to be selective about the nuts if you have already been consuming peanuts which is also a source of healthy fat then you need to switch to nuts with profiles that have been shown to help reduce bad cholesterol like hazelnut which is a source of the mineral copper. when you are dealing with cholesterol, almond nut is also good because it also attacks constipation and is a source of magnesium and calcium and a lot of other nutrients that can help to push out bad cholesterol . Another category of the nuts that are those source of omega-3 fatty acids and Omega 3 food sources whether in nuts or fishes whichever category have been shown to show positive effect when dealing with bad cholesterol.
11. Chia seeds
Chia seed recently is one seed that has been trending because of its numerous health benefits including reducing bad cholesterol. One interesting aspect of the seed is not only that it is a real food, it is rich in calcium, vitamin C other even proteins, it is just naturally a dense seed nutritionally that helps to open up detoxication pathways and deal with constipation if you take enough water after consuming it it helps to fight with them and strengthen your bones and in this way cholesterol will definitely not have a place where the pathways are opened up, no constipation, stronger bones and then no cholesterol in it naturally occurring. cholesterol and saturated fat which are found in some foods but instead is loaded with nutrients that supports fight against bad cholesterol.
12. Beans:
Another important food is beans when you are dealing with cholesterol you need to include beans. All in the Beans or legumes family could be eaten safely and in moderation because it's a source of protein. sources of fibre, and most of the fibre are such that helps to pull out cholesterol. beans like black eyed cowpea, chickpea,kidney beans, pinto beans pigeon pea, green beans, and other category of beans all support fight against bad cholesterol. if you are tackling bad cholesterol and you cannot win any fight against cholesterol without the inclusion of protein in the diet especially plant based protein, because protein is the building block.
13. Soyabeans
Soya beans is also a complete protein which we can include moderately because it's inflammatory, I do not support high consumption of soyabean whether the powder or the milk for older adults because it will lead to cause weight gain and weight gain may open door for things like cholesterol and other health issues like high blood pressure, arthritis and diabetes. when foods that are dense like soyabeans is taken in moderation it will help to supply most of the nutrients and being a heart healthy food because of the phytochemicals and other nutrients in it, helps support and protect the heart against the effect of bad cholesterol, but must be taken cautiously in order to fight cholesterol. one of the major role of of soya beans is to supply complete nutrient and with protein and complete amino acids and so, in so doing you will not be lacking in the beneficial nutrients while avoiding some of the other foods all because of effort to lower bad cholesterol.
14. Green Vegetables,
All green vegetables including spinach are all good because they are high fibre and not only, high-fibre, they are mostly soluble most of these fibre and green vegetables should be top among the foods that we should focus on when tackling or working to reduce cholesterol. Some of them could be taken raw or could be used in salads safely like kale, celery that are low calorie vegetables that can help to reduce bad cholesterol we should also include other foods like green cabbage, cauliflower,are also great in helping to reduce bad cholesterol.
15 Garlic:
Spices play very important role in tackling bad cholesterol and my top one on the list is garlic, garlic is a source of Allicin, source of sulphur and this components and compounds are quite toxic in environment where cholesterol is found and so if you can be consuming raw garlic about two or three purple garlic on empty stomach in the morning few times in a week, you may not have room for bad Cholesterol build up. It is also a natural blood thinner, if you have been diagnosed with high cholesterol you will definitely notice a reduction if you do it for over a period of 20 days or even two weeks you may notice that there is a reduction or that your cholesterol is not increasing and besides this, it helps to protect your heart, I have found out through regular use of raw garlic that garlic is one of the hearts best friend, so if you have been diagnosed with high cholesterol have garlic always around you, do not mind the smell, use it to spice up your meals instead of bouillon cubes and other artificial test enhancers. You can use garlic apart from adding it to your meals to Spice it up, other spices like ginger, tumeric and anti-inflammatories that can help to reduce the buildup of cholesterol. Add peppers like cayenne pepper to protect your heart to support your arteries, peppers like black pepper and other spices in moderation to help prevent the plaque buildup often caused by bad cholesterol
16. Exercising:
we must not under rate the role of moderate exercise daily if you are trying to reduce bad cholesterol cause when we exercise and sweat most times bad cholesterol are broken down and so if you have been diagnosed with high cholesterol, try short workout in the morning. Ensure to do some rigorous exercise regularly to help the bad cholesterol because they will contribute to weight gain when you are exercising. weight is lost, fat is burnt and in the process bad cholesterol is also broken down.
Summary:
In conclusion we do not actually have to be worried too much about cholesterol because the body has cholesterol it's own good cholesterol, and cholesterol will always exist in the body and then if we follow these lifestyles and include these foods in our regular diet with moderate exercise it's not likely that we will have high bad cholesterol although there are other factors such as stress that have been found to contribute sometimes to bad cholesterol ,sleep deprivation also can support buildup of cholesterol because sometimes when we are asleep the bad cholesterol are also being destroyed. These are some of the common things that can contribute to our cholesterol levels but we must be careful or conscious to know if there is sickness that our body is showing us or indicating. Bad cholesterol presence such as occasional dizziness, sluggishness, frequent headaches,, pains most times on the muscles such things can also be signals of bad cholesterol and we may begin to make dietary adjustments instead of running for medications which most times also comes with side effects
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