Power Foods For Lowering Your Cholesterol Naturally

We are all well aware of the dangers of high cholesterol levels; heart disease and a thickening and clogging of the arteries which can lead atherosclerosis and potentially cause a stroke, and there is some evidence that high LDL (bad) levels can have a relationship with hypertension. We also know the foods that we should stay away from if we don't want our levels to continue climbing. Food such as high fat meats, full fat dairy products, fried foods and many premium ice creams and snack foods.

However, instead of focusing on the the foods to eliminate or reduce in our diet it is often easier to focus on the foods that we should add into our diet on a regular basis to help lower cholesterol naturally. So lets start reviewing some of these power foods.

Soy. Soy ranks on the top of our list for two main points. First is has been proven to lower cholesterol levels fairly quickly and second due to the abundance of soy products available. Walk into any grocery store and visit the dairy section. You will notice soy milks, soy yogurts, soy spreads sitting along side of cows milk products. Soy is no longer hidden in the "health food" section of the store, it is right there out in front and you will also see this in the ice cream aisle. Soy is an easy food for commercial manufacturers to work with. It has a long shelf life and since it's own flavor is very bland any type of natural flavorings added to the products don't get distorted, so the flavors taste pure and flavorful. Soy is also now being used in cholesterol lowering supplement products such as Cholesterblock.

Oats. Oats as in oat bran and oatmeal is second on our list. Like soy, oat bran and oatmeal attaches to the cholesterol in our arteries and flushes it out of the body. When looking for oat bran and oatmeal products be sure to read the nutrition label carefully as many products have added fats, some with trans fats, which defeat it's purpose. So when choosing oat products look for those that are unflavored and are at in their most natural state. Plain oatmeal is a perfect example of a good choice and so is Irish oatmeal. For cold cereals look for for the words "heart healthy" on the label. Cheerios is just one of many cereals that carry the heart healthy seal.

Fish. Fish such as salmon are high in omega oils which have been shown to lower cholesterol levels. Other fish such as fresh tuna or canned tuna that is packed in oil come up second on the list. Try to have at least 3 meals a week centered around fish. Both salmon and fresh tuna are wonderful on a barbecue grill especially grilled with fresh veggies. Instead of always having meat as the center of your barbecue try fish, you might be surprised how much different it tastes from fried or baked fish.

Tomatoes or tomato. However you spell them, tomatoes are a wonderful addition to your fight against high cholesterol. Since tomatoes are gown in almost every country, your supermarket should always have a large selection no matter what the time of year, so it's easy to fit them into your diet all year.

Remember to get your cholesterol checked as your doctor recommends, eat plenty of the power foods and try to add exercise into your lifestyle. By eating right, exercising and taking soy supplements such as Cholesterblock you can be on the road to a healthier life.