There are many articles online concerning this, but it can be so overwhelming that I thought I’d share a FEW ideas on this with you.  Remember, baby steps… we can all take small steps everyday to help our overall health.  Even as restrictive as my dietary regimen is, I can find ways to improve.

Add avocado to your meals

Avocados are a potent source of nutrients (over 20 vitamins and minerals) as well as monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs).  If you have been told to reduce your LDL level, then maybe substituting an avocado in place of other saturated fats would be a good choice.

• Make some guacamole, but instead of eating it with chips, use some veggie sticks or rounds.
• Take your homemade guac and roll it up in turkey slices instead of making a sandwich
• Add avocado or guacamole to your salads
• Mash an avocado as a substitute for mayo or butter on toast

Eat more soluble fiber foods

We’ve all heard Cheerios claim to lower cholesterol and the source of that claim is oatmeal.  Soluble fiber found in oatmeal will help reduce the LDL levels (“bad cholesterol”).  Instead of thinking you’d need to eat oatmeal everyday for breakfast, think of some alternate ways to eat oats.

• Blend a handful of oats in your next smoothie
• Make a batch of oatmeal cookies (yes, you can make them sugar-free!)
• Make a quick dip of peanut butter, honey and oats.  Dip apple slices in and maybe even add raisins. YUM!
• Grind up some oats to dip your chicken into, rather than bread crumbs

Easy small steps.. Try one at a time.  You can also get soluble fiber in kidney beans, apples, pears, barley and prunes. So, if you make the dip I mentioned above, you’d be getting two forms of soluble fiber!

Kidney beans are NOT just for chili!  In fact All Recipes has a whole section devoted to them, so try one or two recipes.

Pear season is almost upon us, so it’d be the perfect time to slice some pears, mix together some coconut oil, honey, cinnamon and ginger, pour it over the top of the pears and bake!  Simple!

Throw some nuts on that

Walnuts, almonds and other tree nuts can improve blood cholesterol. Rich in mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids, walnuts also help keep blood vessels healthy. If you are watching your weight, only eat a handful a day.  Throw sliced almonds in your yogurt,  quinoa or salad for example.  Here’s a recipe that I make to have nuts to nibble on.

• 1/4 cup almond oil
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. curry
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. cayenne
• 1/2 tsp. ginger
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. garlic
• 6 cups raw almonds
• 1 TBSP salt

Saute spices and oil together about 2 minutes.  Add almonds & salt and toss to coat.  Spread out into pans and bake at 325 for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Just a few small changes can lead you to a healthier heart, just take those baby steps, no need to LEAP!  🙂