Best Foods for Reducing Cholesterol 降低膽固醇的最佳食物

Cholesterol must be checked so that you can have a healthy heart and not develop heart disease. Surprisingly enough, diet also plays a very significant part in helping to get that. With certain foods, you can naturally lower cholesterol and live healthier and longer as well. Below are some close-up pictures of some of the best foods to utilize in your diet plan for improved management of your cholesterol, and how you can integrate them into your life.

1. Oats: The Breakfast Champion

Beginning your day with an oatmeal bowl is not merely polite etiquette; it's the perfect way to begin a revolution toward a healthy heart. Oats have soluble fiber that, in addition to lowering the level of LDL ("bad") cholesterol from the system. The fiber in oatmeal regulates the cholesterol in the bowel and eliminates it from the system.

Aside from the healthiness of your oatmeal, you are also now free to top your favorite fruit mix, bananas, apples, or berries. If you would also like, you can also add a nut butter or cinnamon for flavor and extra nutrition. And for rush hour mornings, just prepare overnight oats. Combine milk or yogurt with oats in a bowl and let it soak overnight and wake up to the healthy instant breakfast.

1. Fatty Fish: The Omega-3 Superstars

Salmon, mackerel, sardines, and trout are all fatty fish that contain beneficial omega-3 fatty acids, something in such great demand as they can repair the heart. These fats are well worth acquiring in that they can lower triglycerides and raise HDL (the "good" cholesterol).

Throw in a few servings of fatty fish and that might solve the problem. Grill, broil, or bake your fish in attempting not to break it up and hold its nutrients intact and season. Blend the means by which you eat your fish as well—put fish on fish tacos or a rich fish stew. Or, if you simply cannot bear fish, then omega-3s can additionally be obtained through flaxseeds, chia seeds, and walnuts, decent alternatives.

1. Avocados: Nutritious and Heart-Nutritious

In addition to being tasty, avocados are also used for some great things. Avocados have a large amount of monounsaturated fats in them, which were proven to reduce the level of LDL cholesterol. Avocado is also rich in fiber, potassium, and other vitamins.

Avocados are consumed in just so many variations. Spread onto whole-grain bread, blended into a salad, blended up in a smoothie, or blended into dressing as a basis form of fat; there just are so many choices. Don't forget getting ready the guacamole being served as an uncooked veggie or whole-grain tortilla chip dip; it's a simple manner of avocados into your body and you will be greeted with divine joy.

1. Nuts: A Fistful of Health

Almonds, walnuts, pecans, and pistachios are nutritional gems with texture. They are all rich in good fat, fiber, and plant sterols that reduce cholesterol. A fistful of nuts every day was a cholesterol panacea in clinical trials.

In order to take advantage of the nut nutrients, top salads, oatmeal, or yogurt with nuts. They will even be a healthy snack food, but serve them up because they do have calories. Grinding up a combination of some different types of nuts and seeds and making your own trail mix is a better option in order to have a healthy grab-and-go snack.

1. Beans: The Fiber-Packed Powerhouses

Beans are rich in soluble fiber and hence a food item of choice of every patient who is willing to lower his/her cholesterol. Black beans, kidney beans, lentils, or chickpeas -- the whole squad could be mobilized immediately while preparing soups, salads, and casseroles.

Serve hot with plenty of beans and bean chili or plain bean salad made with raw vegetables and vinaigrette dressing. Beans are only a few cents and cheap, a vegetable protein food, and thus the perfect food for vegetarians and vegans.

1. Fruits: Nature's Sweet Treats

Fruit, especially the type that is high in soluble fiber, may be the key to cholesterol management. Apples, pears, grapefruit and orange, and berries are some of the best choices. Not only do they add a natural sweetness to your dishes, but they are also packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.

You can also play and be creative in consuming fruits. You can combine them with other fruits, include them in salads, or as a snack. You can experiment with making fruit salads that come in different colors and textures so not only is it fun, but also good to look at.

1. Whole Grains: The Healthy Alternatives

Replacing refined grains with whole grains will raise your cholesterol even more. Brown rice, quinoa, whole-grain bread, and barley are rich in fiber and cholesterol-lowering substances that lower it.

Adding whole grains is a simple one as it can be achieved by replacing white rice with brown rice or replacing whole grain pasta. Variety is achieved by changing the grain, e.g., by adding quinoa to side dishes and salads. In addition to lowering cholesterol, whole grains are environmentally friendly energy-dense all day long.

1. Dark Chocolate: Guilt-Free Luxury

Yes, you heard it right! Dark chocolate, in limited amounts, is included in a healthy diet for the heart. Dark chocolate contains more antioxidants and with some ingredients that increase the level of cholesterol. Dark chocolate is just such calorie-dense dessert to treat yourself and it will do you some thing while stealing its healthiness for your healthy life.

If dark chocolate is your choice, use foods with 70% or more cocoa to get the healthiest benefits. Add it to oatmeal or yogurt or have a small square as a dessert. Be careful, however, that all these are to be done in moderation because otherwise there are going to be additional calories.

Other Lifestyle Considerations

Even while adding all of those foods to your menu is so critical, other aspects of your life are battling to keep cholesterol under control, as well. Exercise, weight, and not smoking are also heart helpers. Ramp up gradually to a minimum of 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity, such as walking quickly, bike riding, or swimming.

Small Changes, Big Impact

It's not that difficult, really, to work these foods into your diet. Small, small things—skip breakfast and eat oatmeal, or have a handful of nuts as a snack. Small things can really make a big difference and be the big enough difference in your cholesterol and your health.

Just be sure to recall that the correct diet plan, along with exercise and proper lifestyle, is the secret to lowering your cholesterol level and having your heart in the best shape possible. So go ahead, then, indulge in these marvelous foods, get whisks whisking in the kitchen, and watch your health flower! Your heart will appreciate it!

膽固醇必須定期檢查以確保你擁有健康的心臟，避免發展心臟病。令人驚訝的是，飲食在這方面扮演了重要角色。透過某些食物，你可以自然地降低膽固醇，過上更健康、更長壽的生活。以下是一些最佳食物可以納入你的飲食計畫，以改善膽固醇管理。

1. 燕麥：早餐的冠軍  

以燕麥粥開始你的一天不僅是禮貌的舉動；它還是朝著健康心臟革命的完美開端。燕麥含有可溶性纖維，能降低體內的 LDL（“壞”）膽固醇，燕麥中的纖維能調節腸道中的膽固醇並將其排出體外。

除了燕麥，你還可以自由地加入你喜愛的水果，如香蕉、蘋果或漿果，喜歡的話還可以加入堅果醬或肉桂以增加風味和營養。對於忙碌的早晨，只需準備過夜燕麥：將牛奶或乳酪與燕麥混合在碗中，讓它過夜，早上醒來就能享用健康的即食早餐。

2. 富含油脂的魚：Omega-3的超級明星  

鮭魚、鯖魚、沙丁魚和鱒魚都是含有有益的 Omega-3 脂肪酸的油脂魚，這些脂肪能修復心臟，它們可以降低三酸甘油脂並提高 HDL（“好”）膽固醇。

每週攝取幾份油脂魚可能就能解決健康問題。改變你食用魚的方式，烤、燒或烘焙你的魚，以保持其營養不被破壞，並進行調味，例如製作魚肉塔可或豐富的魚湯。如果你實在不喜歡魚，Omega-3 也可以通過亞麻籽、奇亞籽和核桃等良好替代品獲得。

3. 牛油果：營養豐富的心臟食品  

除了美味，牛油果還有許多好處。牛油果含有大量的單元不飽和脂肪，已被證明能降低 LDL 膽固醇水平。牛油果還富含纖維、鉀和其他維生素。

牛油果的食用方式多種多樣，可以塗抹在全穀麵包上、混入沙律中、或製作成冰沙，甚至作為調味醬的基底，選擇很多。別忘了製作牛油果醬作為生蔬菜或全穀玉米片的沾醬；這是一個簡單的方式將牛油果納入飲食，並讓你感受到美味的愉悅。

4. 堅果：健康的一把  

杏仁、核桃、胡桃和開心果都是營養瑰寶，富含良好脂肪、纖維和植物甾醇，能降低膽固醇。臨床試驗顯示，每天一把堅果是降低膽固醇的良方。

為了充分利用堅果的營養，可以將它們加入沙律、燕麥或乳酪中。它們也是健康的小吃，但因為熱量較高，要注意進食份量。將幾種不同的堅果和種子混合，製作自製的健康零食混合包也是個更好的選擇。

5. 豆類：纖維豐富的強者  

豆類富含可溶性纖維，因此是每個希望降低膽固醇的人首選的食物。黑豆、紅豆、扁豆或鷹嘴豆——這整個團隊可以立即動員來準備湯、沙律和燉菜。

熱吃大量的豆類和豆類辣椒湯，或製作生蔬菜和醋汁的豆沙律。豆類便宜，是植物性蛋白的完美食物，對素食者和純素食者來說是理想之選。

6. 水果：大自然的甜點  

水果，特別是那些富含可溶性纖維的水果，可能是管理膽固醇的關鍵。蘋果、梨、葡萄柚、橙子和漿果都是最佳選擇。它們不僅為你的菜餚增添自然的甜味，還富含抗氧化劑、維生素和礦物質。

你也可以發揮創意來食用水果，將它們與其他水果混合，或作為小吃。你亦可以嘗試製作色彩和質感各異的水果沙律，不僅有趣，還很好看。

7. 全穀物：健康的替代品  

用全穀物替代精製穀物能進一步提高你的膽固醇。糙米、藜麥、全穀麵包和大麥富含纖維和降低膽固醇的物質。

添加全穀物很簡單，只需用糙米替代白米，或用全穀意大利麵替代普通意大利麵。透過改變穀物，例如在配菜和沙律中添加藜麥，來達到多樣化。除了降低膽固醇之外，全穀物還是環保的能量來源。

8. 黑巧克力：無負擔的奢華  

沒錯！黑巧克力在有限的份量內可以納入健康的飲食中。黑巧克力含有更多的抗氧化劑，並且一些成分有助於提高膽固醇水平。黑巧克力是一種熱量密集的甜點，適合犒賞自己，同時也能為你的健康生活增添一些益處。

如果你選擇黑巧克力，請選擇可可含量在 70% 或以上的產品，以獲取最健康的益處。可以將它添加到燕麥或乳酪中，或作為甜點享用一小塊。但要注意，這一切都要適量，否則會攝取過多的熱量。

其他生活方式考量  

儘管將這些食物納入你的菜單中非常重要，但你生活中的其他方面也在幫助控制膽固醇。運動、體重和不吸煙也是促進心臟健康的要素。逐漸增加到每週至少 150 分鐘的中等強度有氧運動，如快走、騎自行車或游泳。

小改變，大影響  

其實，將這些食物融入你的飲食並不困難。小小的改變——跳過早餐，吃燕麥，或作為小吃吃一把堅果。這些小事真的能帶來巨大的變化，對你的膽固醇和健康產生重要影響。

請記住，正確的飲食計畫，加上運動和良好的生活方式，是降低膽固醇水平和保持心臟最佳狀態的關鍵。所以，盡情享用這些美味的食物，開始在廚房裡動手，看看你的健康會如何綻放！你的心臟會感激你的！

Ref:

1. Cholesterol: Top foods to improve your numbers - Mayo Clinic：https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/in-depth/cholesterol/art-20045192
2. 11 Foods that Lower Cholesterol - Harvard Health Publishing - Harvard Health：https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/11-foods-that-lower-cholesterol
3. Cholesterol - healthy eating tips | Better Health Channel：https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/cholesterol-healthy-eating-tips