The 3 Best Proteins You Can Eat To Lower High Cholesterol – Health Digest

Although adding chickpeas, walnuts, and oats to your weekly meals is a good first step toward controlling cholesterol, you can do more. For example, Lydon suggests increasing your soluble fiber intake with some of your favorite types of grains, nuts, and produce.

“Many people fall short of the recommended daily amount of fiber intake, which is 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men,” explained Lydon. “To meet your daily fiber intake, add more soluble fiber-rich foods to your diet such as apples, beans, oats, barley, nuts, pears, and avocado.” And if that’s not enough, she has the answer: “If you’re still falling short, consider adding a soluble fiber supplement to your day to make up the difference.”

Next, increase your intake of monounsaturated fat to boost your “good” high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol through foods like olive oil and nuts. How much monounsaturated fat makes sense? MedlinePlus suggests that setting aside up to 10% of your dietary allotment of calories for monounsaturated fats to bring up your HDL cholesterol without causing a spike in your LDL cholesterol.

Though some individuals who struggle with too-high cholesterol require the assistance of pharmaceuticals like statins to manage their condition, you might be able to skip the pharmacy and take the all-natural route. Always talk with a doctor first, of course. If you get the go-ahead to try a holistic approach, find more tasty ways to add chickpeas, walnuts, and oats into your diet.

To learn more about Kara Lydon, visit Kara Lydon Nutrition and The Foodie Dietitian Blog.