If you have problems with your heart health, or even if you’re just wanting to improve your diet, you should be avoiding high cholesterol foods. Let’s talk about what cholesterol is and which high cholesterol foods to avoid!
What is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a waxy, fatty substance that is part of the cells in your body. Your body uses cholesterol to make hormones, vitamin D, and other substances. However, your body produces all the cholesterol it needs all by itself. If you eat too much cholesterol, have a sedentary lifestyle, or smoke, you might develop high cholesterol.
If you have high cholesterol, you’ll have too much cholesterol in your blood and it can combine with other parts of the blood to form plaque. Plaque builds up in the arterial walls and can lead to coronary heart disease, which can be very dangerous!
High Cholesterol Foods to Avoid
Medical News Today compiled a list of high cholesterol foods to avoid including:
- fatty beef
- lamb
- pork
- poultry with skin
- lard and shortening
- dairy products made from whole or reduced-fat milk
- saturated vegetable oils, such as coconut oil, palm oil, and palm kernel oil
- packaged cookies, cakes, donuts, and pastries
- potato chips and crackers
- packaged frosting
- commercially fried foods
- bakery goods that contain shortening
- buttered popcorn
- any products that contain partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated vegetable oils
- red meat
- sausage
- bacon
- organ meats, such as kidney and liver
Foods to Eat If You Have High Cholesterol
Fatty Fish
Fatty Fish like salmon, mackerel, and trout are packed full of healthy fats and omegs-3s that help promote healthy cholesterol levels. Instead of eating red meat, eat healthy fish instead!
Legumes
Legumes like beans, peas, and lentils contain a lot of fiber and are excellent sources of minerals and protein as well. Replacing some of your processed foods with legumes can help lower your risk of heart disease. Studies show that consuming legumes leads to lower LDL cholesterol and weight loss.
Avocados
Much like fatty fish, avocados are a rich source of healthy fats that help lower bad LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol.
Beet Juice
Beet Juice is very effective in lowering your cholesterol. Clinical studies show that drinking beet juice lowers blood pressure as well as cholesterol levels. If you don’t like the taste of beets, HeartBeet Complete is a great option.
HeartBeet Complete is a powdered beetroot supplement that tastes like tart cherry and mixes easily with water. You can take it on the go for quick nutrition, or blend it into a smoothies with your favorite fruit. However you decide to drink it, it tastes delicious!
This supplement contains 1000 mg of beetroot powder, 4000 mg of l-arginine, 800 mg of l-citrulline, 1000 mg of turmeric, 50 mg of turmeric, and 800 mg of key vitamins and minerals. You can try it risk-free with our money-back guarantee!
Dark Chocolate
Cocoa can lower bad LDL cholesterol. However, many dark chocolate products are very high in sugar, which is negative for your heart health. Try to find an unsweetened dark chocolate or a dark chocolate with a cocoa content of 75-85% of higher.
