Improve your Health WITHOUT Drugs

How to Lower your LDL Cholesterol without Drugs

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, often referred to as "bad" cholesterol, is one of the main risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Levels above 130 mg;dl can build up and clog the arteries that lead to your heart and brain.

To get your LDL cunt below 100 (considered ideal), modify your diet. "If you completely changed what you ate overnight, you culd expect to see your LDL cholesteral fall as much as 15 percent in a few weeks," says Mason Freeman, M.D., author of The Harvard Medical School Guide to Lowering Your Cholesterol.

Here are 3 proven tactics:
Cut the Unhealthy Fats: Avoid transfats completely, and limit saturated fat (meat, eggs, and whole-milk dairy products), to less than 7 percent of your total daily calories.

Fit in fiber: Consuming 5-10 grams of soluble fiber (kidney beans, apples, oatmeal all have it) a day has been proven to lower LDL cholesterol about 5 percent.

Go Nuts: Studies Show that getting 20 percent of your daily calories from walnuts-rich in omega-3 fatty acids- may reduce LDL cholesterol by 12 percent. Aim for 2 ounces.

from Shape Magazine, January 2007