Eat healthy, drink lots of water, have enough sleep and exercise. This will give you a higher chance of losing weight and improving your health, which would result to a new, healthier you.


Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Top 10 Cholesterol Lowering Foods

by Jason Horsley

Over the years, we have come to learn just how important a part cholesterol plays in our overall health. Because of this overwhelming importance, we have chosen to put together a list of our TOP TEN Cholesterol lowering foods that can easily be added to anyone's daily diet. Put this list to use starting today!

1. Apples: Apple pectin is a soluble fiber that helps draw cholesterol out of the system. The flavonoids (Quercetin) in apples act as a powerful anti-oxidant that seems to short-circuit the process that leads “bad” LDL cholesterol to accumulate in the bloodstream.

2. Beans: Beans and vegetables are an excellent source of soluble fiber and high in vegetable protein. By properly combing beans with brown rice, seeds, corn, wheat you can create a complete protein. Properly combined beans become an excellent substitute for red meat protein that is high in saturated fat.

3. Brown Rice: The oil in whole brown rice, not its fiber, lower cholesterol. Brown rice can be combined with beans to form an inexpensive complete protein low in saturated fat. In addition, this whole grain also supplies good doses of heart-healthy fiber, magnesium and B vitamins.

4. Cinnamon: A study published in the journal Diabetes Care found that half a teaspoon of cinnamon a day significantly reduces blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. It also reduces triglyceride, LDL, the bad cholesterol and the total cholesterol level.

5. Garlic: Garlic contains the chemical allicin, which has been shown to kill bacteria and fungi, and alleviate certain digestive disorders. It also lowers the blood clotting properties of blood. But the most notable attention garlic has received over recent years is its possible usefulness in lowering cholesterol levels.

6. Grapes: Flavonoids in grapes protect LDL cholesterol from free radical damage and reduce platelet clumping. The LDL lowering effect of grapes comes from a compound that grapes produce normally to resist mold. The darker the grape, the better.

7. Oats: Oatmeal contains soluble fiber, which reduces your low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the “bad” cholesterol. Five to 10 grams of soluble fiber a day decreases LDL cholesterol by about 5 percent. Eating 1.5 cups of cooked oatmeal provides 4.5 grams of fiber â€" enough to lower your cholesterol.

8. Salmon: The major health components in salmon include: Omega 3 fatty-acid and protein. These components have a favorable cardiovascular effect. The American Heart Association recommends that people include at least two servings of fish/week, particularly fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines, anchovies and herring), in their diets.

9. Soy: The top health promoting components in soybeans are isoflavones and soluble fiber. Isoflavones act like human hormone that can lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol. All soy products (soybeans, soy nuts, tofu, tempeh, soy milk, etc.) are complete proteins.

10. Walnuts: Walnuts can significantly reduce blood cholesterol because they are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids. Walnuts also help keep blood vessels healthy and elastic. Almonds appear to have a similar effect, resulting in a marked improvement within just four weeks. A cholesterol-lowering diet with a little less than 1/3 of a cup of walnuts/day may reduce LDL cholesterol by 12 percent.

For those that need a little extra direction or motivation, visit eFitness for Life now and see how our online fitness and nutrition coaching programs can help you make the most of your investment, in the shortest possible time, with the greatest return. All done online! All done with certified coaches! Truly, the Future of Fitness! Stop by today and we will be happy to build your starter programs to ensure you learn to live longer, healthier lives.

Jason J. Horsley is the CEO/Founder of eFitness for Life an online fitness and nutrition coaching solution that provides an affordable, convenient alternative to conventional, expensive dietitians and personal training. Through both eFitness for Life and Health and Wealth for Life, Jason is using his 15+ years in the fitness industry to help individuals across the globe not only look better, but feel better and live longer. The eFitness for Life team is made up of coaches/trainers around the US, working with clients throughout the world via the World Wide Web and the state-of-the-art eFitnessTracker software!

About the Author
Lowering cholesterol levels leads to better overall health and wellness.