You are putting yourself at many health risks that you could easily avoid if you have high cholesterol. Not only is high cholesterol bad for the heart and the body’s circulatory system, but high cholesterol also increases the risk of Alzheimer’s. As bodily and cognitive degeneration are both potential side effects of high cholesterol, it is important to know how to lower your cholesterol if it is high, and how to keep it at a good level if it is already there.

One of the easiest and most effective ways you can lower your cholesterol is by paying attention to what you eat. These four foods are all good for lowering your cholesterol.

1) High fiber foods such as oat bran and oatmeal: these foods lower bad cholesterol, because they contain soluble fiber. Other foods that have soluble fiber include bananas and pears. You can dramatically lower your cholesterol levels by getting five to ten grams of soluble fiber per day. One bowl of oatmeal alone contains six grams of soluble fiber; a single banana contains four grams.

2) Omega-3 fatty acids: you will most commonly find omega-3 fatty acids in such foods as fish. Fish can reduce your blood pressure and lessen the risk of blood clots; for this reason, doctors generally recommend eating a minimum of two servings of fish per week.

3) Walnuts and almonds: As long as you are not eating nuts that are salted or sugar-coated, such nuts as walnuts, almonds, and other nuts can reduce the risk of heart disease.

4) Olive oil: two tablespoons of olive oil per day can lower your bad cholesterol while leaving your good cholesterol untouched. Search specifically for extra virgin olive oil, as this is the least processed and is, therefore, the best for your body.

Even outside of changing your diet, you can do a lot of different things to lower your cholesterol and improve the overall health of your lifestyle. But by learning the foods that are good to eat, and by also learning the foods that you should avoid, you will be at a good starting place for lowering your cholesterol and leading a healthier lifestyle.

In nature, Brazil nuts can only be found in the Amazon region of Brazil, but in the grocery store, you can find Brazil nuts in just about any bag of mixed nuts or trail mix on the shelf – and even though the ubiquitousness of Brazil nuts might have led you to believe that they are simply “filler” (a cheap nut that takes up a lot of space and saves the company money), they are actually full of wonderful health benefits.

For ages, the Brazil nut has been a staple of the Amazonian diet, and one of the reasons for its prevalence in their diet is – quite simply – the fact that these nuts are high in vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals that promote bodily health, as well as being high in calories that give the body energy. Brazil nuts are actually so high in selenium (which is an important cofactor for antioxidant enzymes), and eating one or two Brazil nuts per day will reduce your risk of heart diseases, liver diseases, and cancer.

Buy a couple bags of delicious Brazil nuts!

In addition to helping to prevent these diseases, the Brazil nut can also help to prevent strokes, and one of the big reasons for all this is the fact that Brazil nuts actually work to lower the “bad cholesterol” in your blood while helping to increase the “good cholesterol.”

You should be aware that some people find that they are allergic to Brazil nuts – and Brazil nuts are usually stored and processed in places where lots of other nuts are also stored and processed – so you should make sure you have a thorough knowledge of your personal allergies, and of the storage and processing procedures of the company from which you are purchasing your Brazil nuts. If you are safe to add Brazil nuts to your diet, however, you will be adding a food that is full of health benefits – a food that not only helps to chase away a number of diseases, but that also promotes and advances your health at the same time!