The Good and Bad of Cholesterol - Made Easy

In a world that is filled with a wealth of conflicting evidence online and various opinions from health professionals (or not professionals), it can be very difficult to determine which diet will be best for your goals - never mind which diet is best for your cholesterol levels.

There is conflicting science on specific foods and how they may or may not have an impact on your health, but what we can all agree on is that high cholesterol levels are correlated to atherosclerosis and heart disease.

When it comes to cholesterol, it is important to understand that cholesterol itself is not a bad thing. However, too much cholesterol in the body does have strong correlations to chronic diseases.

Cholesterol is, by definition, a type of protein that the body already creates. In fact, the body creates two types of cholesterol - these are HDL’s and LDL’s.

You may have heard that there are good and bad cholesterols, but it is important to reinforce the idea that there is not necessarily a bad cholesterol, but too much of anything could be harmful to your health.

Sorting Good from Bad

Cholesterol is a natural mechanism that the body uses to heal arterial walls.

High-density lipoproteins (commonly referred to as good cholesterol) are created in an effort to recycle cholesterol in the arteries - these are the guys that take cholesterol away from the heart and arteries. This is a natural mechanism that the body goes through in an effort to heal.

Low-density lipoproteins, on the other hand (commonly referred to as bad cholesterol), is the type of cholesterol that carries its contents to the arteries. For this reason, many people consider LDL’s bad - although they are rightfully just doing their jobs.

The difficulty arises when we have a diet that contains an excessive amount of foods which promote LDL production or contain high amounts of cholesterol in general.

This can cause an issue because the body does not have enough HDL’s to recycle the cholesterol and remove the plaque from the arterial walls. In this case, you have a buildup of gunk in the arteries that can raise blood pressure and lead to other chronic diseases.

Bottom Line: Cholesterol Made Easy

Moral of the story? Eat foods that are rich in HDL and low in LDL.

In most cases, this means eating a diet that is rich in plant foods like beans, nuts, seeds, leafy greens, and fruit. Try your best to limit fatty meats like pork, beef, and chicken.

Whole plant foods will generally contain a much lower source of cholesterol and will contain many more vitamins and minerals to help balance other systems in the body.

As mentioned previously, cholesterol is not the problem - it is the amount of unbalanced cholesterol you put into your body that can cause challenges. Eating plenty of whole foods helps the “good” cholesterol to handle the “bad.”

NOTE: Before making any changes to your diet, be sure to consult with your health professional.

Healthy Cholesterol - Learn Which High Cholesterol Foods are Heart Healthy

You've probably heard the buzz about good and bad cholesterol, and the negative effect that bad cholesterol can have on heart health. With some high cholesterol foods now being considered good while others are bad, trying to determine which high cholesterol foods are actually beneficial for your heart's health can be confusing!

Figuring out the Difference Between the Two

Scientifically, let's look at the difference in how your body processes good cholesterol versus bad cholesterol:

1. Good cholesterol or HDL. This type of cholesterol does a sort of "recycling" process on excess cholesterol overall, taking the excess back to the liver for excretion. It can help to remove cholesterol attached to the arteries.

2. Bad cholesterol or LDL. Your body deposits this type of cholesterol on the artery walls. Such deposits narrow the passages and eventually block the flow of blood to the vital organs of the body, including the heart. Foods containing saturated and trans fats are typically high in LDL.

Where to Find Good Cholesterol

Now that you know how they differ, it's time to take a look at which foods actually have good cholesterol so you can consume those and avoid the ones that don't. To make the process of identifying those foods easier, make note of the main components of good cholesterol:

1. Monounsaturated fats or MUFAs. These fats form the main component of good cholesterol and are found mostly in fruit, nuts, and wheat products.


2. Polyunsaturated fats or PUFAs. These fats are also significantly present in good cholesterol foods and are typically found in corn products, sunflower products, and fish oils. Specifically, omega-3 fatty acids are crucial to increasing your HDL to LDL ratio.

The following foods are excellent sources of MUFAs, PUFAs and omega-3 fatty acids, and are effective at providing the body with heart healthy cholesterol:

1. Avocado. Avocado used to get a bad rap about being too rich in cholesterol. However, that was before people knew that it's actually a great source of HDL cholesterol that effectively combats bad cholesterol.


2. Olive oil. Olive oil and oil from peanuts and canola also have great levels of heart healthy cholesterol. You can get wonderful results when you use them for cooking.


3. Almonds. While other nuts also have some traces of good cholesterol, almonds perhaps have the most. Replacing unhealthy snacks, like chips, with a handful of unsalted, raw almonds can make a difference in your heart health.


4. Shrimp. This is another food item that gets a bad rap, and although it has some amount of LDL, it has enough HDL to combat its negative effects due to the naturally occurring fish oils. Salmon and tuna are also great sea-dwelling sources of HDL.


5. Eggs. Not only do eggs possess good cholesterol, but they also possess tons of other nutritious properties. This is definitely one of those foods to keep a stock of at home.

What Else Can Healthy High Cholesterol Foods Do For The Body?

You might be pleasantly surprised to know that the food items previously listed can also aid in helping you maintain:

• Peak mental performance
• Increased energy and stamina
• Excellent health

After reading this, you'll probably be relieved to know that not all of those high cholesterol foods you've been eating are actually bad for you! In fact, some of them, like the ones listed above, are extremely good for you - in moderation, of course.

But most importantly, they protect your heart from being exposed to heart disease by fighting the negative effects of bad cholesterol. Now that you know these facts, you can once again enjoy high cholesterol foods - as long as they contain the beneficial type of cholesterol (HDL).


Learn more about your health online when you read the rest of our information here about: Cholesterol guide and also download the free health report available there!

Warren Tattersall has been a full time nutritional consultant for over 35 years and works with people all over the world to help them improve their health, increase their personal energy levels and to use supplements to assist with diet related health issues.

Just send him a note on the form here - Contact Us - to request a personal no obligation one-on-one consultation with Warren

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