Good nutrition promotes cholesterol health

Although fish, skinless poultry, and low-fat dairy products can be part of a heart-healthy diet, plant foods should be the mainstay of your meals if you want to maintain cholesterol levels within the normal range. All plant foods — and no animal foods — contain dietary fiber. Soluble fiber (the kind found in oat bran, oatmeal, beans, legumes, and fruits) binds to bile acids in the intestinal tract and interferes with the reabsorption of cholesterol into the bloodstream.

Vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains also provide antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and a vast array of phytochemicals, specialized compounds that protect plants from the harsh realities of their environments — and confer health benefits when eaten. To mention just a few examples:

• Genistein, a phytochemical found in soy
  
• Allicin, found in garlic
  
• Beta-carotene and other carotenoids

Reduce your intake of saturated fat and cholesterol by eliminating high-fat dairy (cheese, sour cream, butter, whole milk) from your diet and relegating meat to side dish status a few times a week. Also avoid trans fatty acids, which are found in margarine, processed oils, fried foods and most commercially baked goods.

Make sure you're getting enough of the good fats—omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids—which are considered essential because they can only be obtained through foods or supplements. Fresh raw nuts and seeds are rich in omega-6 fatty acids, while cold water fish (salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, tuna and trout) and flax are the richest sources of omega-3 fatty acids. I recommend eating salmon or other cold-water fish several times a week, and having one to two tablespoons of flax oil, or up to one-quarter cup of freshly ground flax seed daily. Flax oil should never be heated, as its EFAs are destroyed by high temperatures. For cooking, use extra-virgin olive oil.