It's an established medical fact that you can eat your way into a heart attack. But your diet can also help you work your way out of that high-risk zone.
According to the American Heart Association, eating the right foods - hearty grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts and legumes - can keep cholesterol from clogging your arteries and help prevent heart attack, stroke or premature death.
While we do need some cholesterol in our diets - in fact, the body produces some cholesterol naturally - the danger is when we eat too much. Then "bad cholesterol," or low-density lipoprotein (LDL), deposits the excess on artery walls, inhibiting normal blood flow. The best way to lower LDL is to cut down on saturated fats and trans-fatty acids found in egg yolks, liver, kidney, solid margarine or foods made with hydrogenated oils, such as french fries and many commercial baked goods.
But, while LDL can clog our arteries, a different type of cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), actually carries excess cholesterol away from the blood to the liver to be excreted. Many foods can increase the amount of HDL in the blood, while decreasing LDL levels. Research shows that even a small increase in HDL can reduce the risk of heart attacks.
To raise your HDL levels, include these heart-healthy foods in your daily diet:
- Enjoy foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish, dark green vegetables and flaxseed, safflower, sunflower and canola oil.
- Eat foods high in soluble fiber, like whole grains, oats, brown rice, fruits, legumes and lentils.
- Use cooking oils high in monounsaturated fats, such as canola and olive oil. Replace trans fats, such as hydrogenated oil and vegetable shortening, with liquid or semisoft margarine.
- Try soy products such as tofu, tempeh and texturized vegetable protein (TVP).
- Consume low-fat dairy products. Switch to skim or 1% milk, low-fat yogurt and non-fat cheese.
- Include onions. Many European holistic health practitioners advise that half a raw onion per day can significantly raise HDL levels.
