How to Lower Cholesterol?

苏智娟校友提供 December 4, 2012

1.   Only the yolk of an egg counts, when it comes to cholesterol.

       An egg's yellow center holds two fats that can be bad for your
heart: cholesterol and saturated fat. Egg white, however, has no fat
of any kind and about four times more protein!

So, if you've got high cholesterol, don't eat more than 200 milligrams
of cholesterol a day. That's a little more than one egg yolk. Even
better, don't eat more than two egg yolks per week -- and baked
goodies do count! That helps you eat less saturated fat, too.

2.   Which is best in your coffee?

      Powdered creamer ?
      Whole milk ?
      Half-and-half?

      Whole milk has just one-third of the saturated fat found in
powdered creamer or half-and-half. If you like your coffee "white" --
and you drink 2-3 cups -- those bad fats can add up quickly. Here's a
breakdown of the saturated fat in 1 tablespoon of creamer options:

     •Heavy cream - 3.5 grams
     •Half-and-half - 1 gram
     •Powdered creamer - 1 gram
     •Whole milk   - 1/3 gram
     •Skim milk  - 0 grams

3.   Which is worst for your cholesterol?

       Coconut milk  ?
       Coconut meat ?
       Coconut water ?

       Coconut milk makes curry sauces taste rich and creamy. But one
serving of curry can pack more saturated fat than most people should
eat in a whole day -- thanks to the fatty coconut milk.

Coconut meat should be a rare treat, too, if you've got high
cholesterol. A piece the size of a mini candy bar has 13 grams of
saturated fat! Coconut water is a clear liquid some people sip after a
workout. It has almost no saturated fat.

4.   Brisk walking for 30 minutes can...

      Fast walking can help raise your good cholesterol, just like
other peppy workouts. Brisk exercise is even more powerful in lowering
triglycerides, unhealthy fats in your blood. These can drop 20%-30%
when you start moving.

      Aim for at least 30 minutes, five days a week, of moderate
exercise. That means breaking a sweat and raising your heart rate.
Walk, bike or spin, dance, and even rake leaves quickly . Short on
time? Split a workout into 10-minute bursts.

5.   Most of the cholesterol in your body comes from your liver.

      Surprised? The liver makes about 75% of the cholesterol in your
body. We need some cholesterol to make cells and hormones, and for
many other essential functions. The other 25% comes from what you eat.

Foods high in saturated fat and trans fat -- like potato chips, ice
cream, and other processed foods -- are bad if you're trying to watch
your cholesterol levels. Your body easily converts them to
cholesterol.

6.   What's the best diet for cutting cholesterol?

       Low-fat  ?
       Low-carb ?
       Mediterranean ?


       Load up on the fish, veggies, fruits, and whole grains! A
Mediterranean diet seems to work better than a low-fat diet to lower
total cholesterol. And it lowers your risk for heart disease in many
other ways, too.

You might lose weight on a low-carb plan. But it's easy to eat too
much saturated fat on these meaty diets. And that can make your
cholesterol go up.

7.   Which foods are most to blame for high cholesterol levels in the U.S.?

      - Pizza and cheese   ?
      -  Beef and lunch meat ?
       - Egg dishes ?

         Hold the cheese -- and the pizza. America’s love for these
gooey foods is responsible for the biggest slice of saturated fat in
our diet, about 15%. And saturated fat raises cholesterol levels.

Beef and processed meats kick in another 9%. Egg dishes contribute
about 3%. Americans also gobble up a whole lot of bad fat from
cookies, cupcakes, donuts, ice cream, and Mexican food.

8.   Eating more fiber lowers your cholesterol.

      It’s true -- eating oatmeal can lower your cholesterol. It has
soluble fiber, which brings down “bad” LDL cholesterol. Adding just
5-10 grams of soluble fiber a day -- that's one or two large apples
with skin -- can lower LDL by 5%.

  You’ll also find soluble fiber in many fruits and veggies, nuts, and
dried beans, such as kidney, pinto, and black beans. To get the
greatest health boost from fiber, aim for 10 to 25 grams daily. Lentil
soup is a tasty way to get 9 grams.

9.   Losing weight can cut your cholesterol.

      If you're overweight, slimming down can lower your bad
cholesterol, LDL. If you weigh 150 pounds, for example, dropping 15
pounds will do the trick. Losing more weight should bring it down even
further.

 Cholesterol begins to drop when you lose 10% of your body weight.

10.   How does a statin drug work to lower cholesterol?

         Statins keep your liver from making cholesterol. They also
help your liver remove some LDL bad cholesterol from your blood
stream.

11.   Daily meditation can lower cholesterol levels?

Meditating every day can lower your blood pressure, but there's no
evidence it can directly improve your cholesterol.

Still, calming your mind helps reduce stress. This can help you avoid
unhealthy ways of coping with tension, like binging on unhealthy
foods, smoking, and heavy drinking.

12.   Which snack is best for your heart?

         A banana ?
         A handful of walnuts ?
        Unsalted pretzels?

        Nuts have soluble fiber, which helps lower cholesterol, as
well as a bonus for your heart: omega-3 fats. An ounce of walnuts --
about 14 halves -- does have about 185 calories, so pay attention to
portion size.

 Bananas are good for you, too. They just don’t help your cholesterol
as much because they’re not loaded with heart-healthy fats. Either one
is a better choice than processed foods like pretzels, even if they're
low in salt and fat.