In an effort to eat more healthy fats to keep my cholesterol in check, I increased my intake of flaxseed and fish. It’s been fabulous—I feel great, plus I’ve lost 23 pounds! But I’m becoming a little bored with these options. What other foods can I go for?
Fortunately, there are plenty of heart-healthy foods you can try. You’ll find beneficial fats such as monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats in nuts, including pine nuts, almonds, macadamias, walnuts and hazelnuts. Regularly consuming these crunchy bites can reduce LDL (“bad”) cholesterol by up to 10 percent, while increasing HDL (“good”) cholesterol. And of course, there’s the waist-whittling bonus you mentioned! Some serving options: Enjoy nuts raw and unsalted in trail mix, slather nut spread on whole-grain bread or apple slices, or drizzle unrefined nut oils on soups, vegetables, pasta, fish and poultry. You can also eat more olives and avocados, which have the same good-for-you fats. I recommend serving sizes of about 6 olives or 1/4 avocado daily. Plus, you can use avocado oil (which doesn’t affect food’s flavor) for high-heat cooking and frying instead of other, less healthy oils.
