My friend and coworker came back from a doctors appointment and told me she just found out she has high cholesterol. Her doctor is giving her a chance to lower it herself naturally before he puts her on medication for it. I wanted to help, so I went online to track down the best and worst foods to eat to lower cholesterol.

Why is High Cholesterol Bad?

Basically, cholesterol can build up in arteries and cause all kinds of heart problems such as coronary heart disease, clots, heart attacks, and more. Cholesterol is actually good for the heart in normal levels. However, when there is too much for the body to handle, it becomes dangerous.

The Top 10 Best Foods For Your Heart

High cholesterol can be brought back to normal levels naturally through exercise, diet, and overall good lifestyle. So, what are the best foods for your heart? Well, here they are: At number one, oatmeal. Oatmeal is high in good fat, Omega-3, and low in bad fat, LDL (high saturated fat). It also has fiber, which is also great for the heart.

The second heart friendly food is salmon. Salmon is packed with omega-3 and antioxidants.

At number three is olive oil. The monosaturated fats in olive oil lower LDL and helps clear arteries.

In fourth place isnuts. Almonds, walnuts, and macadamia nuts are the best. These nuts are loaded with the good fats and fiber.

Berries come in fifth place. Just like you were told growing up, berries are good for you. The reason they are good for your heart come from the fact that they have anti-inflammatories, which lower the chances of getting disease and cancer.

Spinach is at sixth place due to its stores of lutein, folate, fiber, and potassium.

Seventh, soy, is great for the heart because it contains lean protein. Make sure you choose the most natural soy. Processed soy usually contains preservatives and salt, which is not good for the heart.

Legumes are eighth in the list. The best legumes are chickpeas, lentils, black, and kidney beans. Filled with fiber, calcium, and omega-3, legumes are extremely heart healthy.

Avocados are ninth. Avocados contain monosaturated fats that lower the bad fat LDL.

Finally, the tenth heart healthy food is flaxseed. Not only does flaxseed contain omega-3, it also packs omega-6. A little can go a long way. Flaxseed is available in pill form or as a spice.

The Top Ten Worst Foods For Your Heart

Now you know the best foods for your heart, what are the worst foods? What should you stay away from? Here they are: Soda pop, french fries, potato chips, bacon, pasta salads, fast food burgers, granola bars, most chocolate cereal, doughnuts, and cheese.

Remember, you can still have some of these foods, just not in large amounts. If you need to have cheese, use a low fat cheese like feta and skim mozzarella. It's all about the choices. If you have to eat fast food, choose chicken instead of beef, or a salad instead.

If you liked this, check out Living Well Part I, Part II, and Part III