Today we continue to discover some more no-guilt foods we can enjoy to lower our bad cholesterol, and increase the good HDL Cholesterol. This prevents heart attacks and stroke, and ensures good health.
Chocolate Health
Choosing dark or bittersweet chocolate can help you fight cholesterol! Dark chocolate has antioxidants (three times as much as milk chocolate!) and less sugar. So you can eat more chocolate for the same amount of calories compared to milk chocolate.
Flavonoids are antioxidants found in chocolate, and also tea (see below). This antioxidant helps to prevent cholesterol from sticking to your arterial walls, keeping them unclogged!
Unfortunately white chocolate does not have any flavonoids at all, so to indulge in something sweet and healthy, bite into a darker bar.
Depending on the processing steps different chocolate types and brands contain different amounts of flavonoids. Mars Inc developed a chocolate with high flavonoid levels. A few days ago I reported on the research Mars Inc contributed to, read more here.
The Mars Dove bars contain high levels of these antioxidants, and to control your calorie intake choose the Dove Dark Chocolate Promise. Tip: Combine Dove Dark Chocolate and Almonds in the Dove Chocolate Covered Almonds for dual Cholesterol fighting power!
Picture courtesy of Dove Chocolate
You can have one a day, and keep the plaque away!
Tea
Tea has antioxidant power year-round! Whether it’s hot outside or cold, you can adjust them temperature to your tea accordingly to give yourself a tasty and cholesterol fighting drink! Tea prevents blood clots from forming in your arteries, and relaxes your vessels. The antioxidants found in tea, called flavonoids, prevent LDL cholesterol from oxidizing, so it prevents the cholesterol from solidifying into plaques.
Drink at least one cup of green or black tea a day. If you want to maximize your tea’s antioxidant power, make it yourself! Avoid the convenience iced teas and control the amount of sugar you consume with your tea. You wouldn’t want to receive so many benefits and then give back by consuming too much sugar. Sugar can be harmful for your joints and of course adds unwanted calories on to your tea.
Top Cholesterol Fighting Foods – Part I
Top Cholesterol Fighting Foods – Part II
Top Cholesterol Fighting Foods – Part III
Top Cholesterol Fighting Foods – Part IV