5 simple ways to lower your cholesterol

After my dad recently went through quindruple bypass heart surgery, I decided to make some changes. Its sobering to see your own dad go through something like that, and its even more sobering to know that both parents have a history of high cholesterol that has been passed on.

So with the help of my wife, who happens to be an RN, we came up with some easy changes for my diet to bring down my borderline high cholesterol. Change is not easy, so we tried to find the simplest ways to better our health.

Oatmeal for breakfast.  Eating breakfast is not something I normally skip in my routine because I get up rather early to be to work. So to make this change easier, I decided to eat at work. I bring a box of High Fiber Maple Brown Sugar Quaker Oatmeal with me to work, where I keep a spoon and extra large mug. I have easy access to hot water so this is quite a perk in the morning. The High Fiber oatmeal is two-fold for reducing cholesterol. Oats are great for lowering cholesterol as well as anything high-fiber.

Benecol Smart Chews twice a day. One of my favorite ways to reduce cholesterol is to eat two caramel chews twice a day. I try to do this at lunch and dinner to make it easier to remember, though its not too hard to remember to take some tasty caramel treats. The caramel chews contain plant stanol esters, which are proven to reduce your LDL, or “bad” cholesterol.

Switched to wheat bread. This was a simple change as well. I’ve grown fond of  whole wheat pitas in the last month and simply swapped out my white bread wheat. A more difficult change would be to start bringing your lunch to work or school if you currently tend to eat out. This will not only likely lower your cholesterol, but also relieve some stress on your wallet.

Butter & Mayonnaise containing plant sterols. Our fridge now holds Smart Balance Omega Plus Light Mayonnaise and Benecol Light spread in place of our normal Mayonnaise and Butter. I found this a very easy change to again swap out a product I normally use daily with a healthier choice. Both of these contain plant stenols or sterols that are proven to reduce cholesterol.
A glass of wine each evening. This is probably one of the more enjoyable changes you can make. However, there are certain types of wine that will help more than others. According to an article I read at prevention.com, each glass of red wine contains plant compounds called saponins. These help your heart by trapping clog-causing cholesterol before it can be absorbed into the bloodstream. The article describes:

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, found that saponin levels were 3 to 10 times higher in reds than in whites: Zinfandel had 14 mg per glass; Pinot Noir, 7 mg; Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, about 4 mg (Merlot most likely has 4 mg as well, researchers say); Chardonnay, 2 mg; and Sauvignon Blanc, just about 1 mg.

Bonus Tip. Change your buying habits to start looking at the labels. There are two important things you want to look out for. The first one is obvious. Make sure the label as little to no cholesterol. The second thing to look for is the trans fats. Trans fats raise your “bad” (LDL) cholesterol and lower your “good” (HDL) cholesterol.

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