In a time when the big pharmaceutical companies are spending lots and lots of money to reach us in every conceivable way to convince us that the only way to lower our potentially harmful cholesterol levels is to ask our doctors for their specific drug we have lost sight that there are natural ways to lower cholesterol by eating cholesterol lowering foods.

Foods that have high amounts of fiber work very well to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. A few are:

• Barley
• Apples
• Prunes
• Oat Bran

Other cholesterol lowering foods are those that contain Sterol and, Stanol. These are substances that occur naturally in many different plants including:

• Fruits
• Nuts
• Vegetables

They work by preventing the body from absorbing the LDL cholesterol before it is delivered to the liver and then eliminated.

Both saturated and trans fats should also be removed from your diet as much as possible as they too will raise cholesterol levels.

Replace these bad fats with monounsaturated fats like are found in extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and also canola oil. Other sources of monounsaturated fats are:

• Nuts from Trees
• Avocados
• Peanuts

As beneficial all of these cholesterol lowering foods are there is an additional substance that is key in reducing cholesterol and that is omega-3 fatty acids. Key in reducing LDL levels, science is discovering that omega-3 has many other benefits including:

• Probable anti cancer properties, especially prostate, colon and breast cancers
• Reduction in the rate of occurrence of Cardiovascular disease
• Probable increase in immune function

Omega-3 is traditionally found in fatty fish such as salmon, sardines, and anchovies and has proven itself to be so beneficial that the American Heart Association recommends two servings of grilled or baked fatty fish a week.

Omega-3 can also be found from certain botanical sources such as chia and flax seed which is very beneficial to anyone who does not like the taste of fish or is concerned about toxic contamination such as mercury or hydro carbons.

The finest botanical source of omega-3 is Mila refined chia seed which, besides providing more omega-3 fatty acid than either farm or wild salmon also supplies additional nutrients such as Iron, Potassium, Magnesium, Selenium, and anti-oxidants

Please visit Mila Healthy Living.com for more details about this amazing seed.

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If you’ve just found out that your cholesterol levels are too high and need to come down, you basically have a choice of two paths to take. The first path involves cholesterol lowering foods that have been proven effective and will improve your health far beyond that of your cardiovascular system.

The second path is to use chemicals that have been produced in the laboratory to reduce cholesterol levels. Taking cholesterol medication comes with many potential side effects including muscle, kidney and liver damage. As many as 25% of individuals who use statin medication experience muscle aches and twitching.

It seems to me that the clear choice is using food for high cholesterol and leaving medication as a last resort. Cholesterol lowering foods are those which contain high amounts of fiber and plant sterols such as what is found in most vegetables. Brussels sprouts, spinach and broccoli are some of the best foods that combine high fiber content with a high level of plant sterols.

Sterols are natural substances that are found in all plants and have been proven to block the absorption of cholesterol into the body. This is due to the fact that plant sterols have a very similar molecular makeup to that of cholesterol. Scientists believe that the sterols actually compete with cholesterol for absorption, thereby preventing the absorption of much of the cholesterol found in the foods we eat.

Now don’t get the idea that this is a license for eating a high cholesterol foods. The most effective diet for lowering cholesterol will be one that contains reduced amounts of saturated fats combined with high fiber foods. In addition to vegetables, fruit, nuts and whole grains contain substantial amounts of fiber.

A bowl of oatmeal that has crushed walnuts mixed in is a great food for high cholesterol. Other sample diet for lowering cholesterol ideas include adding as much spinach and other vegetables as possible to the sandwiches you eat.

A wonderful cholesterol reducing dinner that I enjoy is salmon served over a bed of spinach. The combination of fiber and sterols found in the spinach added to the omega-3 fatty acids supplied by the salmon is extremely beneficial.

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