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To reduce cholesterol levels and improve your overall quality of health, you need to remember that all fats aren't bad fats. There are two types of fats that are associated with improved cholesterol numbers. These are unsaturated fats. They will be recognizable because they are liquids at room temperature. Monounsaturated fats are found in your peanut, canola and olive oils. They are also the types of fat found in avocados, nuts (like almonds and hazelnuts) and seeds (pumpkin and sesame). Polyunsaturated fats are found in a high concentration in corn, soybean, sunflower and flaxseed oils. They are the healthy fats in walnuts, flax seeds and fish.
In a 2003 article of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers discovered that when healthy fats replaced carbohydrates, participants saw a decrease of HDL (bad) cholesterol and an increase in LDL (good) cholesterol. - There are no official guidelines on the amounts of unsaturated fats that should be consumed on a daily basis. The goal should be to monitor your intake (since any fats have twice as many calories as protein or carbohydrates) and make a habit of replacing bad fats with the healthier unsaturated fats. Instead of processed cheese (saturated fats), make a guacamole dip from avocados for the heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. You can add sliced avocados to sandwiches and salads. Spread almond butter on bread with jelly, Add flaxseed oil to muffins. Cook with more healthy oils instead of butter, shortening or lard. Sprinkle walnuts on your oatmeal for breakfast or grab a handful of sunflower seeds for a snack in place of a candy bar.
- You want to avoid or minimize your consumption of saturated fats and trans fats. Our bodies make saturated fat naturally, so any extra we consume just ends up in our arteries. The more saturated fat in your diet, the higher your cholesterol levels. Saturated fats are found in all meat and animal byproducts (eggs, butter and milk) and in some tropical oils. Trans fats pack a double punch by lowering your good cholesterol (LDL) and raising your bad cholesterol (HDL). You will find trans fats in abundance in fried foods, like french fries and doughnuts. They are also prevalent in store-bought baked goods. Nutritional panels on foods will detail the amounts of each fat in a particular food item, which helps you make smart choices about limiting your consumption of them. In general, to avoid raising your cholesterol levels, stop eating at fast-food joints, choose lean cuts of meat instead of fatty types and select low-fat milk products instead of whole-fat milk products.
