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Reducing saturated fat is the single most important dietary
change you can make to cut blood cholesterol. Used as a
replacement for meat and cheese, soy foods help your heart
by slashing the amount of saturated fat that you eat
The Smart, Delicious Alternative
Not familiar with soy foods?
Eat some today
 The basics include tofu, soy nuts, soy flour, and enriched
soymilk. Great-tasting, protein-rich meat alternatives
include soy sausage, and breaded cutlets and nuggets that
taste like chicken. Crumbled soy – an alternative to ground
meat – works well in chilli, burritos, lasagna, soups, and
casseroles. Add tofu to chilli, eggs, or casseroles. It
absorbs the flavor of whatever you’re cooking. You’ll find
many soy products in the produce section of the supermarket.
What about soy supplements? Research shows that isoflavone
supplements alone don’t work. To lower cholesterol, you need
the whole soybean with its unique protein, phytates, and
isoflavones, which may all act together.
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The FDA recommends getting at least 25 grams of soy protein
each day. Consuming 25 grams of soy protein daily lowers
high cholesterol.
The High Fiber Solution
Except for your morning wheat bran, no food is more
fiber-rich than beans. And beans are especially high in
cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber. Eating a cup of any type
of beans a day – particularly kidney, navy, pinto, black,
chickpea, or butter beans – can lower cholesterol by as much
as 10 percent in 6 weeks.
Soluble fiber forms a gel in water that helps bind acids
and cholesterol in the intestinal tract, preventing their
re-absorption into the body. This may be why soluble fibre
helps to lower cholesterol levels (and decreases the risk of
heart disease). Soluble fibre is also found in oats and oat
bran, barley, brown rice, beans, apples, carrots, and most
other fruits and vegetables.
Eat Some Today
Keep your cupboards stocked with canned beans of all kinds:
black, white, kidney, fat- free refined, etc. (as well as
instant bean soups). You’ll always have the makings of a
delicious, healthful dinner on hand. Beans and protein and
fibre to any dish and can be uses in salads, stuffed baked
potatoes, veggie chilli, or pureed for sandwich spreads. And
since they come in cans, beans are handy to use. But
remember to rinse canned beans first – they’re packed in a
high- sodium liquid.
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Eat beans five or mor times a week. For the greatest health
benefits, both the FDA and the National Cancer Institute
recommend that adults get 25 to 30 g. of fiber each day.
Cholesterol- Lowering Salmon
Amazing Heart- Friendly Fat
Research has shown certain types of fats actually protect
against high cholesterol. Omega-3 fatty acids – found in
salmon and other cold-water fish – help lower “bad” LDL
cholesterol, raise “good” HDL cholesterol, and lower
triglycerides.
Salmon is an excellent source of protein because it is high
in omega-3 fatty acids called EPA and DHA that are good for
your heart while low in cholesterol and saturated fat.
Eat Some Today
To get the most omega-3s, choose salmon, white albacore
tuna canned in water, rainbow trout, anchovies, herring,
sardines, and mackerel.
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The American Heart Association now recommends eating at
least two servings of fish every week, preferably fatty
fish, by far the richest sources of fish-oil omega 3s.
Cholesterol -Lowering Avocado
Healthy Fats, Lower Cholesterol
Avocados are a great source of heart-healthy
monounsaturated fat? A type of fat that may actually help to
raise levels of HDL (”good” cholesterol) while lowering of
LDL (”bad” cholesterol). And these delectable green orbs
pack more of the cholesterol-smashing beta -sitosterol (a
beneficial plant-based fat) than any other fruit.
Beta-sitosterol reduces the amount of cholesterol absorbed
from food. So the combination of beta-sitosterol and
monounsaturated fats makes avocado an excellent cholesterol
buster.
Eat Some Today
Avocado is a bit high in calories. Your best strategy: Use
this luscious veggie in place of another high-fat food or
condiment.
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The American Heart Association recommends that you get up
to 15 percent of your daily calories from monounsaturated
fats like those contained in avocados, but some heart
experts recommned an even greater percentage. (In an 1,800-
calorie diet, 15 percent translates into 30 grams per day.)
FYI: A whole avocado has about 300 calories and 30 g fat.
 
Cholesterol-Lowering Garlic
The Ancient Herb for Heart Health
For thousand of years, garlic has been used in nearly every
culture in the world, and not just to repel evil. Its
nutritional value and flavor have made it a kitchen staple.
Ancient Egyptians ate garlic for stamina; in modern times,
garlic has been found to lower cholesterol, prevent blood
clots, reduce blood pressure, and protect against
infections. Now research has found that it helps stop
artery-clogging plaque at its earliest stage (called
nanoplaque). How? Garlic keeps individual cholesterol
particles from sticking to artery walls.
Eat Some Today
Next time you hit the supermarket, pick up a tub of freshly
garlic cloves, and challenge yourself to make sure it’s gone
before the “best by” date. Chop up and toss on pizza, in
soups, or on side dishes.
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To reap benefits, try for 2 to 4 fresh cloves a day.
Cholesterol-Lowering Spinach
The Heart Healthy Green Giant
Spinach contains lots of lutein, the sunshine-yellow
pigment found in dark green leafy vegetables and egg yolks.
Lutein already has a “golden” reputation for guarding
against age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of
blindness. Now research suggests that just a ½ cup of a
lutein -rich food daily also guards against heart attacks by
helping artery walls “shrug off” cholesterol invaders that
cause clogging.
Eat Some Today
Look for 9-oz bags of baby spinach leaves that you can pop
in the microwave (ready in 3minutes). Top with 2 tablespoons
of Parmesan and 1 tablespoon of toasted sunflower seeds. Add
a roll, and you’ve got a heavenly low-cal dinner for one.
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Spinach is the richest source of lutein. Shoot for a ½ cup
a day.
 
Cholesterol-Lowering Tea
The Hot and Cool Superdrink
Tea, whether it’s iced or hot, delivers a blast of
antioxidant compounds. Studies prove that tea helps to keep
blood vessels relaxed and prevent blood clots. Flavonoids,
the major antioxidants in tea, have been shown to prevent
the oxidation of LDL cholesterol that leads to plaque
formation on artery walls. These powerful antioxidants may
even reduce cholesterol and even lower blood pressure.
Drink Some Today
Enjoy a cup of hot or iced tea. Although convenience iced
teas still have high antioxidant levels, most homemade iced
tea (both hot-brewed and fridge teas) have been more
antioxidants. So, if you want the very max, make your own.
Get This Much
A cup of hot tea actually contains more antioxidants than a
serving of any fruit or vegetable. Both green and black teas
have high antioxidant levels. Enjoy at least one cup of tea
every day.
Cholesterol-Lowering Chocolate
The Sweet Heart Bonus
Want to help your heart the next time you indulge in
chocolate candy? Choose the dark or bittersweet kind.
Compared to milk chocolate, it has more than three times as
many antioxidants. These flavonoid antioxidants work to keep
blood platelets from sticking together and may even help
keep your arteries unclogged. Milk chocolate is good too,
having as much antioxidant power as red wine. And what about
white chocolate? Sorry, it has no flavonoids at all.
Eat Some Today
The levels of flavonoids in chocolate vary, depending on
where it is grown and handled and how it is processed.
Researches have been studying a variety of chocolate,
developed by Mars, Inc., with guaranteed high-flavonoid
levels. You can find it now in Mars Dove bars. To control
the calories, buy Dove dark chocolate Promises. Indulge in
one flavourful, high-flavonoid morsel daily, for just 42
calories and 2.6 g. of fat.
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Research shows that about an ounce of chocolate a day
increases good cholesterol and prevents bad cholesterol from
oxidizing.
 
Cholesterol-Lowering Walnuts, Cashews and Almonds
Go (Mixed) Nuts!
A moderate-fat diet that’s rich in the healthy
monounsaturated fats found in nuts may actually be twice as
good for your heart as a low-fat diet. Nuts also have
vitamin E, magnesium, copper, and phytochemicals that have
been linked to heart health. And walnuts are also rich in
omega-3s. People who eat nuts regularly have less heart
disease and other illnesses than people who don’t. The
heart-healthy monounsaturated fats they contain are also
better for your joints than the polyunsaturated fats found
in corn and safflower oils.
Eat Some Today
The key is moderation: Nuts are high in calories. Keep a
jar of chopped nuts in the fridge, and sprinkle 2
tablespoons a day on cereal, veggies, salads, or yogurt. Or
add them to your diet by sprinkling chopped nuts on stir-
fries. Almonds, hazelnuts, or walnuts can be added to
pilafs. Make a trail mix with your favourites nuts, seeds
and dried fruit.

Get This Much
Aim for 2 tablespoons of chopped nuts five times a week, or
a small handful as a snack 3-4 times a week.

To learn more about reducing your risk of cardiovascular disease(and all the other major diseases), register for Dr.Anca’s upcoming E-Course, “Eliminate the 4 Major Killers”