Luckily, there are many foods that are good for you, help lower cholesterol levels, and taste great too. Start thinking about using whole foods, not processed foods. Here's a good rule: If your great-grandmother wouldn't have recognized it as a food, don't eat it.

Fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, good oils like olive oil and avocados, nuts, leafy greens, and low-fat dairy products are all delicious and good for you. You'll find that as you include these foods in your diet, you will lose weight, have more energy, and have smoother skin, brighter eyes, and stronger bones.

The Best Foods

Some foods have even more effect on cholesterol levels and health than others. Honey has the same amount of antioxidants as spinach, apples, and oranges. Nuts, especially almonds, walnuts, and hazelnuts, are a powerful weapon against heart disease. A handful a day provides you with soluble fiber, antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and monounsaturated fats.

Fish, especially cold-water fish like salmon, tuna, trout, mackerel, and sardines, are full of omega-3 fatty acids. But you have to be careful to limit consumption in some cases. Children and pregnant or nursing women should limit consumption of tuna, red snapper, and orange roughy, since these fish can be high in mercury contamination.

Flaxseed is rich in lignan, an antioxidant, and the omega-3 fatty acid linolenic acid, which lowers total and LDL cholesterol levels. You can add the whole seed to baked goods, and sprinkle it on yogurt or ice cream. You can also consume it in the form of flaxseed oil.

Apples contain a good amount of soluble and insoluble fiber, including pectin, which can help lower cholesterol. In fact, eating one large apple a day can lower cholesterol levels by about 10 percent. Apples also contain a flavonoid called quercetin, which reduces the risk of heart disease with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.

In the 1980s, scientists thought oatmeal, especially oat bran, was the answer to fighting heart disease. Oats contain beta-glucan, a soluble fiber that is quite effective in lowering LDL cholesterol. As it turns out, oat bran is not a magic bullet, but is an important food to include in your diet. Beta-glucan is also found in barley.

Table 1-2

Antioxidant Capacity and Fiber in Good Foods per Serving†
Food	Antioxidant Capacity*	Fiber
Red beans	13,727	8 grams
Pinto beans	11,864	12 grams
Blueberries	9,019	3.5 grams
Artichoke heart	7,904	9 grams
Prunes	7,291	12 grams
Red apple	5,900	5 grams
Russet potato	4,649	6.5 grams
Avocado	3,344	9.2 grams
Orange	2,540	3.1 grams
Red grapes	2,016	1.4 grams

†Serving size is 1 cup cooked beans, 1 cup small or chopped fruits and vegetables, and one medium fruit or vegetable.

*Antioxidant capacity is measured in a test tube; reactions may be different in the body. However, antioxidant capacity is a good indicator of health benefits.

When you consume meat, especially red meat, think about using it as a flavoring or an addition to foods rather than the main course. A stir-fry with half the beef that the recipe normally calls for, with lots of fresh vegetables like onions, garlic, peppers, and beans, will satisfy meat cravings in a healthy way.

What About Eggs?

Eggs are the exception to the rule. The American Heart Association's guidelines now state that people with normal cholesterol levels can eat one egg a day. Yes, an egg yolk contains 213 mg of cholesterol. But it's also rich in other nutrients and is a good source of high-quality protein.

When you do buy eggs, look for those that have been specially developed and bred to contain more omega-3 fatty acids that help reduce inflammation. Brands like Christopher's Eggs and Eggland's Best are good choices. Be sure to read labels carefully and still limit your egg yolk consumption to one per day or less.

Plant Sterol Margarines

The saturated fat content in butter does seem to raise cholesterol levels, according to research. If you do have high cholesterol, you can substitute margarines enhanced with plant sterols for butter in cooking. Some brand names include Benecol and Take Control.

Be sure that the product says that it can be used in baking before trying it in breads, cookies, or cakes. And if you do not have high cholesterol levels, do not use these products. Plant sterols seem to work by competing with cholesterol in the intestines for inclusion in the compounds that transport cholesterol to the bloodstream.

Butter, in small amounts, does add great flavor to foods without too much saturated fat per serving. In fact, adding a bit of butter or other fats to cooked vegetables helps increase vitamin absorption. Use it as a garnish: Add a teaspoon to vegetables just before serving, brush on breads just out of the oven, and use it to finish sauces.

Foods to Avoid

There are many foods that you should avoid if you are trying to control and improve cholesterol and triglycerides. Processed meats, fast food, and foods containing trans fat should not be part of your diet. Cut down on the number of sugar-sweetened foods you eat, and reduce the sugar in the recipes you already have. Most recipes still work well with half to two-thirds the amount of sugar called for.

Remember that unless your body increases blood cholesterol levels when you eat cholesterol in foods, it's most important to reduce saturated fat. When looking for the right foods to eat, consider saturated fat first, then the cholesterol amount.

Avoid saturated fats, especially in red meats. These meats can be inflammatory as well, so choose leaner cuts and try to find grass-fed beef. Learn the correct serving sizes as well. Three ounces of meat is a serving; that's about the size of a deck of cards. Most Americans consider a “serving” to be a quarter to half pound of meat!

Trans fats should be avoided whenever possible. The FDA's labeling plan will help you choose foods that are low in trans fats. If you eat whole foods and fresh foods, you can avoid most artificial trans fat. For more information, see The Everything® No Trans Fat Cookbook.