How To Choose Foods That Lower Cholesterol

High cholesterol is a health concern for many people. While heredity does play a role in cholesterol levels, diet and exercise can greatly help in reducing those numbers. Ready to get on a low cholesterol diet plan? Here are some tips on how to choose the right foods:

1. Shop the outer perimeter of the grocery store. The outer walls of the grocery store are usually the place to find the healthiest foods that can lower cholesterol numbers. First stop: the produce aisle, where you can load up on naturally cholesterol-free fruits and vegetables. Don't just pick out the same old items like bananas and tomatoes -- opt for a variety of produce selections like blueberries, raspberries, mango, zucchini, red and green peppers, kiwi and avocados. Avocados in particular are known for containing the healthy fats which can help to raise your HDL (your "good" cholesterol). Load up on garlic -- another "miracle" food.
   Walk around to the meat department and choose the leanest cuts of meat and poultry. Choose skinless chicken and pick up lots of heart-healthy fish like salmon and mackerel. Make your way to the dairy aisle where you should walk right past the full-fat dairy products and select low fat and fat free dairy products and milk. Craving eggs? Switch from regular eggs to cholesterol-free Egg Beaters brand. Soy milk is another low cholesterol dairy option -- Silk and 8th Continent brands are two good choices. Keep in mind that the high fat, processed foods can usually be found in the middle aisles of the grocery store. Stay away from any snack item that comes in a box or a bag -- most of these items contain high cholesterol and trans fats. You can usually find all the healthier food groups around the outer walls of the grocery store, so you can still get a balanced diet.
2. Read food labels. If you don't usually take the time to read food labels, start doing it now. Food labels must now list the amount of cholesterol per serving. Obviously your best choice is to choose items that have an amount at zero. And while you're checking the cholesterol count of your favorite foods, read the ingredients that are listed on the product label as well. Any food that contains hydrogenated oils or partially hydrogenated oils is bad news.
3. Remember--not all margarines are created equal. Some of the new margarine products on the market are actually proven to help lower cholesterol. Skip the stick butter and margarines -- these are the worst kind for your heart. Instead opt for a tub spread that contains plant sterols, like Benecol or Take Control. Yes, these products are more expensive than the generic store brands, but they do help to lower cholesterol when eaten as part of a low fat diet. Or, if you'd rather skip the margarine altogether, try dipping your bread in just a little bit of heart-healthy olive oil.
4. A few more options. You don't have to say goodbye to your morning bowl of breakfast cereal -- just say goodbye to those brands that are loaded with sugar and chemicals. Switch to oatmeal instead. Looking for a snack? Forget the potato chips and switch to healthy nuts, like walnuts or almonds. Just eat a few, though!
5. Change your ways. Gone are the days that you can eat an entire bag of potato chips or a pint of chocolate chip ice cream without feeling guilty. High cholesterol is serious business and should be treated as such. Change your eating habits now so that you can enjoy good health for many years to come.   

This list of foods should help you get started. Remember, exercise can also help you reduce cholesterol.

Quick Tips:

• High cholesterol puts you at greater risk for heart disease and other health problems.

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How To Lower Cholesterol Levels

Did you know that heart diseases cause one death every 30 seconds? The primary culprit behind heart disease is a lipid or fat called cholesterol. Although our bodies can produce cholesterol naturally, we also consume a type of cholesterol called low-density lipoproteins (LDL) through our food. LDLs are the bad cholesterols that build up plaque in the arteries of the heart when cholesterol levels are high, restricting blood flow and causing coronary heart disease and other cardiovascular conditions. The problem with cholesterol is that its effects on the body are not readily apparent; it takes years to build up then will strike in our 40s or 50s. For this reason, we all have to start managing cholesterol as early as our 20s.

Managing cholesterol involves making sure our cholesterol ratio of LDL (bad cholesterol) and HDL (good cholesterol) stays equal. Since both cholesterol types come from what we eat, it makes sense that a low cholesterol diet is a key to lowering our cholesterol levels. Here are several ways to lower your cholesterol levels, as well as foods to include in a low cholesterol diet.

1. Get your heart pumping and do cardio exercises for 30 minutes daily. Exercise increases HDL and reduces LDL, while keeping you fit and boosting your mood. You don’t have to enroll in a gym to do this. Instead of taking the bus all the way to work, get off several blocks from your building and walk the rest of the way. Or take the stairs instead of the elevator.
2. Have a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast every morning. Oatmeal contains a soluble fiber called beta-glucan, which soaks up cholesterol like a sponge. If you don’t like the taste of oatmeal, you can add dried blueberries, sliced banana, chocolate milk, or cinnamon to give it a flavor kick.
3. Snack on almonds instead of chips. Almonds contain flavonoids and vitamin E, very important and powerful antioxidants that prevent LDL from oxidizing and building plaque. Make sure you eat unsalted almonds with the skin, as this is the part that is rich in flavonoids.
4. Ground flaxseed contains soluble fibers that prevent the production of LDL and help your body eliminate cholesterol. You can sprinkle these into your bowl of breakfast oatmeal!
5. Garlic prevents the body from manufacturing unneeded cholesterol. What’s great about garlic is that it’s easy to sneak into any food! Make sure you release its flavor by chopping it into small pieces. One to two cloves of garlic a day are enough.
6. Phytotesterol is a fat you can find in many plant foods like nuts, legumes, seeds, and fruits. Foods containing phytotesterol help block the intestinal cells from absorbing cholesterol. Many foods like granola bars, cheese, and even chocolate bars contain phytotesterol. However, you should watch out for trans-fat and saturated fat! 
7. Take heart-friendly food supplements like omega-3 fish oils, which are known to prevent or reverse heart disease. Garlic food supplements can also do the trick.
8. Stick to extra virgin olive oil and fish for your sources of fat.

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How To Use Cholesterol Test Kits

By using a home test kit, examining your cholesterol level can be much easier and simpler. It just involves some handwork and patience as your test kit processes the results, and then in a few minutes, your results are out. A lot of tests conducted using cholesterol test kits have proven the kits to be highly accurate. Many have claimed that when they later went to see their doctors were subjected to a medical laboratory cholesterol test, the results were the same. This implies that a cholesterol test kit is a good way of determining the cholesterol levels in the body.

Here are some basic instructions on how you can use a cholesterol test kit.

1. The first phase is the preparation. With soap and lukewarm water, wash your hands. Then, let your body relax for a moment. While doing so, rub your hands together so as to warm them up.
2. Then, choose which finger to prick so that you would be at ease while the test runs. You have to take note that the finger that you choose must have no callous. If you are a right-handed person, choose a finger from your left hand; do otherwise, if you are left-handed.
3. For about half a minute, let the arm of the finger you choose hang down so that the blood will flow to that area, making it faster to draw the blood.
4. Choose a place to do the testing. Make sure that there is a table or a flat surface where your selected hand should rest. Take note that your palm should be facing up, and the back of your hand resting down on a flat surface. Pump the testing device with your finger, and follow the instructions provided in the handbook of your kit.
5. Use strips of gauze to wipe away the first signs of blood. Then for a few more seconds, to increase the blood flow, let your arm hang down once more.
6. Be sure to collect enough of a blood sample, as required. This may vary depending on your kit’s instructions.

After that, the only thing you need to do is to wait and let the device process your blood test for cholesterol. A majority of the kits take around ten to fifteen minutes to provide a result. Then you read your results and compare them to the cholesterol chart that the kit has provided you. To prevent inaccuracy in the results, compare them only with the chart provided in your kit. Comparing it to a different kits’ chart may drive you to incorrect conclusions.

One thing you should bear in mind is that the test results are relative, depending on your condition.  They are also pretty dynamic, as your cholesterol levels could change anytime in a day, even everyday. The best thing you could do is to monitor your blood cholesterol level for a certain period of time. You could then check with your doctor who would interpret the results and tell you whether or not you need to take further tests and medications.

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