Breaking

5 simple and healthy diet swaps to manage your cholesterol levels - Fox News
Sep 29, 2022 1 min, 49 secs

Boston-based registered dietitian-nutritionist Nikita Kapur told Fox News Digital that high cholesterol can lead to cardio-metabolic risk factors such as heart disease, diabetes and atherosclerosis (a buildup of plaque in and on the artery walls).

Heightened LDL levels, also known as "bad cholesterol," can put the body at risk for these complications, which is often genetic but can also be manipulated by diet and lifestyle factors.

"Sometimes we see very stubborn levels of high cholesterol that don't necessarily respond favorably to diet and lifestyle," she said in an interview. .

A woman indulges in a plate of nuts and seeds.

Kapur, lead dietician at Compass Nutrition, explained that a mindful diet in terms of managing cholesterol first involves incorporating food sources rich in soluble fibers.

These are present in plant foods such as legume beans, nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

"The goal is to improve soluble fiber, which a lot of us don't get these days," she said.

Omega-3s and healthy fats found in fish, seeds and oils are also good for lowering cholesterol.

If this seems like a lot to chew on — here are five quick diet swaps to help manage cholesterol levels.

"Plain, old-school Cheerios we know have a very high concentrations of oats," said registered dietitian-nutritionist Nikita Kapur of Boston. .

"Plain, old-school Cheerios we know have very high concentrations of oats," she said.

 "And then oats have a lot of beta-glucan and fiber that can be beneficial for reducing cholesterol.".

While a variety of fish are high in omega-3s — a great resource for keeping bad cholesterol at bay — not everyone is a fish fan

Kapur suggested swapping fish for various nuts and seeds such as flax, chia, hemp, sesame, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, as well as almonds and walnuts

Try swapping fish for various nuts and seeds such as flax, chia, hemp, sesame, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, as well as almonds and walnuts, said Kapur

Peanut butter can sometimes get a bad rap in diet discussions, but Kapur said there’s no need to ditch it

It's wise to swap any kind of nut butter — peanut, almond, sunflower and others — for unsalted and no-sugar-added nut butter, said one nutrition expert. 

RECENT NEWS

SUBSCRIBE

Get monthly updates and free resources.

CONNECT WITH US

© Copyright 2024 365NEWSX - All RIGHTS RESERVED