HOW'S YOUR CHOLESTEROL?

I'm sure you have seen ads claiming that oatmeal and oats, such as Cheerios,  can lower cholesterol.  It's true, and here's how they do it...As your liver filters blood it removes some of the cholesterol and sends it into a bile duct, which leads to your digestive tract.  There, oat fiber traps cholesterol and carries it out with wastes.  If you ever had an ultrasound done of your liver and your doctor told you that you have a "fatty liver", this means that you have an over abundance of cholesterol in your liver. 
 
However, this situation can be rectified and  there are many other foods besides oatmeal, that will help your body rid itself of this cholesterol.  The secret is  called soluble fiber.  It's what makes oats famous, and it is in legumes--that is beans, peas, and lentils.  So every time you add beans to your meals, you are helping to bring down your cholesterol level.  Barley is also a good cholesterol lowering food.  The cholesterol-lowering power of these foods is enormous.  It is not unusual for a person to bring down their high cholesterol level to a normal level without medications.  

The top foods for soluble fiber are:  FRUITS:  apples, blackberries, figs, oranges, mangoes, peaches, pears, prunes, raisins and many others.

OAT PRODUCTS:  oatmeal and oat bran, raisin bran and barley.

BEANS:  Chickpeas, navy beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, peas, soybeans, etc. 

VEGETABLES:  Artichokes, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, carrots, green beans, sweet potatoes and winter squash.  

The following recipe is a great cholesterol lowering meal!  This is from the book, The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook.

LEMONY LENTIL VEGETABLE STEW

1 T whole peppercorns
1 sprig fresh rosemary
4 1/4 c vegetable broth
2 T lemon juice
1 cup dried lentils
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 c baby eggplant
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 c sliced baby carrots
1/2 t sea salt

1. Put peppercorns and rosemary sprig into a cheese cloth and tie the corners.(Or, just throw it in the pot)
2. In a large saucepan, bring 4 cups broth, lemon juice, and cheesecloth package to a boil.
3. Add the lentils, sweet potato, and eggplant.  Reduce the heat, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a nonstick skillet, heat remaining 1/4 c broth, then add the onion and garlic and cook for 3 minutes.
5. Add carrots, 1 tablespoon water, and salt and cook for 6 minutes.  If you want your carrots completely soft, add about 4 minutes to the cooking time.
6. Once lentils, sweet potato and eggplant have been cooking for 20 minutes, remove the cheesecloth with peppercorns and rosemary, and add vegetable mixture.  Cover and cook for 5 more minutes. 

It really is possible to get your cholesterol down to normal without toxic medications.  The more meat and dairy you exclude from your diet and the more fruits, vegetables and beans you add to it will get your numbers down to where they need to be.  Our bodies make all the cholesterol we need..all the extra cholesterol comes from meat, dairy and oils....if we are taking them out of our diets, we are not getting any cholesterol.  

So, what's your cholesterol number?  

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