How to Eat More Good Cholesterol
Cholesterol gets a lot of bad rep from diet junkies, but fats actually have a practical function our bodies. They build and maintain cell membranes, function as intracellular transport and nerve conduction, among other things. It’s when you introduce bad cholesterol or LDL that starts the problem. Too much LDL can cause your arteries to block up, causing any number of cardiovascular diseases.
HDL also known as unsaturated fats or good cholesterol on the other hand, actually help get rid of cholesterol in your body. They carry excess cholesterol and have them taken in your liver to be disposed of. Of course, your body can only handle so much cholesterol. Eat good cholesterol in acceptable levels, and you’d be doing your body a big favor. It’s recommended that for healthy living, your body must maintain over 50 mg/dL of HDL.
Here’s how to eat more good cholesterol.
Monounsaturated Fats
Canola
Canola oil
Sesame oil
Peanuts
Olive oil
Olives
Avocados
Nuts which include almonds, hazelnuts and pecans
Seeds such as pumpkin and sesame seeds
An average person is recommended to have monounsaturated fats take up ten to 25% of calories per day for healthy living.
Polyunsaturated Fats
Sunflower seeds
Sunflower oil
Corn
Corn oil
Soybean
Flaxseed oils
Walnuts
Fish
An average person is recommended to have polyunsaturated fats take up eight to ten percent of calories per day for healthy living.
There is a renewed stress in the inclusion of Omega-3 fats, a type of polyunsaturated fat, in our diet. Omega-3 fats cannot be produced by our body on its own, which is why we must look for food sources to obtain it. Fish like salmon and tuna are two Omega-3 rich food, and doctors recommend eating fish at least three times a week.
The trick to eating good cholesterol enough to benefit your body is to cut and limit your ingestion of food rich in bad cholesterol. Paired with a conscious effort to eat less bad cholesterol and more fruits and vegetables, you will definitely be on your way to healthy cholesterol levels.