If your loved one reports that his cholesterol is getting higher with each annual doctor visit, his doctor has probably recommended that he alter his diet to be more heart-healthy. It can be overwhelming to try to incorporate new foods into the regular diet, and having someone to encourage and lead them might be just what they need.
If this sounds like your loved one, you can help him work on lowering his cholesterol by slowly incorporating more heart-healthy foods into his diet and reducing the unhealthy items. You might find having a home care assistance team who can help with meal preparation and even shopping will be one step toward success for your loved one. Oftentimes, it’s easier for a caregiver to have the home care assistance providers step in and promote change than it is for them to do it themselves. Your loved one might be more inclined to listen to his home care assistance team than he is to you.
Your loved one might be surprised to learn he already enjoys delicious food that is great for lowering cholesterol levels. He might just need to increase his intake or find new ways to enjoy it.
Here are five foods that reduce cholesterol levels that you or home care assistance providers can try.
Whole Grains
Whole grains provide a great source of soluble fiber, lowering the risk of heart disease. One easy way to get more whole grains into your loved one’s diet is to look at the grains he does enjoy – rice, pasta, and bread, and change them to whole grains. Instead of having white rice with his meal, serve whole grain rice. White pasta can be substituted with whole-grain pasta.
These changes don’t substantially change what he enjoys at his meal; they just alter it a bit.
Oats
Oats are a great grain to add to your loved one’s daily diet, and a very easy way to do so is by having him enjoy oatmeal for breakfast each day. Look for oatmeal or oat cereal (like Cheerios) that is low in sugar.
If your loved one wants a little sweetness added to his breakfast, add some fresh fruit like bananas or strawberries.
Nuts
Enjoying a handful of nuts for a snack is another good way to reduce cholesterol. Nuts like almonds, walnuts, and peanuts are good for the heart so long as they’re not eaten in too large of quantities. A mid-afternoon snack of about 2 ounces of nuts daily is perfect.
Fruits rich in pectin
Pectin is a form of soluble fiber that helps to reduce LDL cholesterol. Many fruits are chock-full of pectin, making them a great snack to enjoy during the day. Some good ones to choose from are apples, grapefruit, oranges, strawberries, and grapes.
Fatty Fish
While avoiding proteins that are full of saturated fats is key to lowering cholesterol, replacing those unhealthy cuts of beef or pork with heart-healthy fish is even better. Fatty fish like tuna or salmon have omega-3 fats, which lower cholesterol by reducing the amount of triglycerides in the bloodstream.
Does this still seem overwhelming to your loved one? Have home care assistance help him choose just one healthy option to replace an unhealthy option from above and slowly make more changes as he gets used to the first one.
If you or an aging loved one is considering Home Care Assistance in Newtown, CT, please contact the caring staff at Connecticut Nursing Services today. 203-730-2739
