subject: Lower Your High Cholesterol With Omega 3 [print this page] You need tremendous diet control and sometimes depend on a pill in order to maintain your cholesterol level. We are bombarded with commercials every day about different medications which could lower your cholesterol. The main problem I have with so many of them are a number of side effects they mention very rapidly at the end of the advertisement. I desperately want to get my cholesterol level down to a manageable range with diet. Taking a prescription pill may end up giving me problems in other areas.
When choosing certain foods to lower your bad cholesterol and raise your good cholesterol, the first food that one thinks of is oats. Oatmeal is made up of soluble fiber. What is good is that? I know I've read it a lot and sort of just skimmed over it. Now I can tell you what it does. Soluble fiber will lower your bad cholesterol by absorbing the LDL, the bad cholesterol, from your bloodstream. Consuming just 1 1/2 cup a day of oatmeal will give you 6 grams of fiber. You need 5 to 10 grams of this fiber a day. Other sources of the soluble fiber are:
kidney beans
apples
pears
barley
prunes
You can rely on some other sources also in order to reduce the LDL in your bloodstream. They can be obtained from omega 3 fatty acids. One of the best ways to get these omega 3 fatty acids is to eat fish. The advantages of getting omega 3 are that they can lower your blood pressure and prevent the formation of clots in your blood. If you wish to get your required dosage of omega 3 by eating fish, it is suggested that you eat fish two times a week. Not every type of fish is a good source of omega 3. Salmon, Tuna, Halibut, Mackerel, and sardines are considered to be the best sources of omega 3. In order to get the maximum benefits, it is advisable that you bake or grill your fish, instead of frying it.
There are other ways of getting omega 3 apart from eating fish. Eating English walnuts, almonds, and other nuts are good sources. Just eating a handful of nuts a day can be beneficial to your heart health. Nuts that are beneficial besides the walnuts and almonds are hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, some varieties of pine nuts and pistachio nuts. I know the majority of people who eat nuts, prefer to eat them salted or some that are sugar coated but those type are not the ones you should be eating. Nuts are already high enough in calories, eating salted or sugar coated ones will only increase your weight.
Types of oils that help reduce your cholesterol and also contain omega 3 are flax seed oil, sunflower seed oil, and canola oil. You can use them to saute your vegetables, or for adding to recipes. Deep frying in oil destroys the omega 3 benefits so it is better to grill or bake your foods than fry.
It is not an easy task to lower your cholesterol, but adhering to a heart healthy diet comprising of omega 3 foods or supplements, will help you to be successful in achieving your goal. Be sure to let your doctor know if you decide to start taking omega 3 supplements. If you are taking any blood thinners such as warfarin, you may need your medication adjusted since omega 3 also thins your blood. Take full charge of your life, try to solve some of your possible health issues or issues of the future by including omega 3 to your diet right this moment.
