Turn New Olive Leaf: Mediterranean Cholesterol Lowering Diet

When it comes to losing weight, different diets work for different people. If you are worried about high cholesterol, the best cholesterol lowering diet out there has proven to be the Mediterranean diet. . Losing weight through diet and exercise has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease.

Researchers examined the diets of people living in Greece and Southern Italy where people enjoy fruits, vegetables, legumes, fish, red wine and whole grains. The people rarely indulge in red meat, but are liberal with their olive oil. Researchers found a very low incidence of heart disease which they attribute to their natural cholesterol lowering diet.

If you have too much of the bad kind of cholesterol, which is known as LDL (low density lipoprotein), you may want to try a plant-based diet. If your levels of LDL cholesterol are over 160 mg/dl, you are at risk for heart disease.

Researchers suggest diet changes

According to a new study conducted by researchers at the University of Toronto, choosing a cholesterol lowering diet may be as effective as taking medications such as statin.

They found subjects who ate foods such as soy protein, natural fiber and almonds lowered cholesterol levels by 20 percent. The people in their study ate between five and 10 servings of vegetables and fruits each day.

Why worry about cholesterol?

Most people are motivated to lose weight because they are vain. They want to look better in their clothes. But experts say people who lose weight for health reasons are more likely to lose more weight and keep it off than people who want to lose vanity pounds. If you have high cholesterol, you have a serious reason to adopt a cholesterol lowering diet not just for your waist line, but for your life.

Cholesterol is a fat-like substance made by your liver. Cholesterol is actually a necessary part of your body which makes healthy cell walls, vitamin D, bile acids and hormones. However, sometimes your body may make more cholesterol than it needs which can lead to clogged blood vessels, heart disease and stroke.

Improve your diet, exercise

Since your body will make more cholesterol than it needs when you eat saturated fat, the first strategy is to eliminate or reduce the amount of red meat and dairy products you eat.

• Eat more grains, vegetables and fruits that do not contain any cholesterol.
• By losing weight you will automatically lower your total blood cholesterol levels.
• In addition to adopting a cholesterol lowering diet, turn up the heat on your exercise routine. Exercising will raise your HDL or good kind of cholesterol while lowering the bad kind.
• According to experts with the American Heart Association, your cholesterol lowering diet should include no more than 30 percent of the calories from fat and just 10 percent of the saturated kind of fat. Don't exceed 10 percent polyunsaturated fats. Also, they suggest less than 300 milligrams daily of cholesterol and 2,400 milligrams daily of sodium.

So, if you want to lose weight and extend your lifespan, turn over a new olive leaf. Adopt the Mediterranean Cholesterol Lowering Diet.

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