7 Foods That Lower Cholesterol Naturally After 50 (No Medication!)

Alright, you're over 50. Your cholesterol comes back high. Everybody's in a panic. You're in panic and now you start to question everything on your plate.

Can you eat eggs? Should you stop eating meat? What are the saturated fat foods? Can trust the heart healthy labels on a box? Listen, You should not have to feel nervous every single time you sit down to have a meal.

That actually increases cardiac risk. I'm Dr. Jack Wolfson, cardiologist and founder of Natural Heart Doctor and I've worked with thousands of patients for more than 20 years and one of the places I start is with eating real food.

So what are you eating and is that replacing some of good stuff? Now remember, cholesterol is not your enemy. You need cholesterol. for your hormones, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, for you brain.

All your cells need cholesterol, digestion too. So the better question is, what is damaging your lipoproteins leading to oxidized damaged LDLs? Food is part of the story.

Right now I'm gonna show you seven foods I recommend and how you can turn them into meals that you are excited about making and that are really heart healthy.

Let's start with number one, wild fatty fish. My personal favorite and best strategy. So number one wild fatty fish, wild salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring, anchovies, these deliver long chain omega-3 fats, EPA and DHA.

These fats become part of your cell membranes. They lead to normal cardiovascular physiology and can help lower your triglycerides down. This is why I prefer seafood as the foundation rather than some kind of processed fish oil.

Eat real food. Make sure you build several seafood meals into your week. Get the best quality source and do some research. You're going to find some great things that are out there.

you'll pay a little bit more but I guarantee you your health is worth it. So do things like wild salmon over arugula. Use lemon and olive oil in there these can be done you can also get sardines in a can or a glass jar which is fantastic.

Number two extra virgin olive Look for the best olive oil, cold pressed, stored in a glass bottle. Try and stay away from plastic of course or metal tins.

These olive oils provide monounsaturated fat along with antioxidant compounds. The literature is very clear that people consume olive, oil they do really well.

Mediterranean diet is an example. Use it in your own homemade dressings with garlic and lemon and sea salt and various herbs. and you can like drizzle it over your vegetables as well.

Some people even take shots of olive oil and I think that that is a good strategy. Much better than seed oil, other processed oils, minimally processed, high quality olive.

Oil number three, avocado. Sometimes I call that avocado, great source of fat, fiber, magnesium, potassium, vitamin C, E and so much more. This you can add like half an avocado to a salad, serve it next to eggs, make your own guacamole.

So it's really wonderful. You cannot overdose on avocados. Your body will love you for it. And of course, so will your Number four, nuts and seeds. Great strategy here.

Lots of data. Walnuts, almonds, macadamia nuts. These are high in fat, minerals, quality fiber. Add in some seeds, freshly ground chia, flax, sesame, pumpkin.

Make sure you're not doing one of these healthy nut bars like you know air quotes healthy with the syrups and the sweeteners and their refined oils. Just eat real food people.

Eat real foods. Choose the raw or gently roasted nuts without any kind of sugary coating or some kind mystery oils on there. Read the labels because a lot of times they include the oils that are in there you want to definitely avoid those.

Number five, leafy greens and something like beets that are great in producing nitric oxide. So these foods like arugula, kale, spinach, chard, and those beats, they're great to convert into nitrous oxide, nitro oxide opens up your blood vessels, better blood pressure helps them to relax.

My personal favorite is arigula. It has a peppery bite and it really works as like the base of a salad or you can use it underneath the salmon or alongside eggs or even just eat it straight out of the bag.

Ideally, you would grow your own. If raw greens don't agree with you, lightly saute or steam them. You don' need to force down a giant cold salad. Just find a preparation you enjoy, enough to repeat.

Consistency beats one perfect meal, so keep those in stock. Another secret there is sprouts. Take a look at various sprouts, broccoli sprouts for example.

So now that we now you know look at the meal we have built so far wild fish alongside leafy greens dressed with extra virgin olive oil avocado and a few walnuts or seeds you're no longer being told to eat better you can picture what better looks like on your plate but here is one thing that a plate cannot tell you what's happening inside your body You and a friend could eat the same meal and still have very different happening beneath the cholesterol numbers.

One of you may have insulin resistance and rising blood sugar. The other may of oxidized LDL, inflammation, toxin exposures, abnormal lipoprotein patterns, or other risk factors that deserve attention.

A standard cholesterol panel does not show the whole picture. So yes, eating real food matters, but do not assume that because the plate looks right, you have addressed everything that matters.

That is why I say test don't guess. The right testing can show you what is happening beneath those numbers. What deserves your attention and where your food and lifestyle changes fit in with you.

If you want to learn what actually may be driving cardiovascular risk beyond cholesterol, take my free heart health quiz. The link is below. It looks at the bigger picture, including food, sleep, sunlight, inflammation, stress, toxin exposures.

This helps to identify the areas that deserve your attention. it's not always about food. the quiz is totally free. All you gotta do is provide your email.

We send you the results. You'll find the link below now we've built most of the plate. But eventually you will want something sweet. So what I reach for?

Reach for number six, seasonal blueberries. Blueberries, blackberries raspberries and strawberries give you polyphenols, vitamin C and fiber in a whole food package.

Instead of cookies, pastries or these low-fat desserts loaded with sugar, try fresh berries by themselves Maybe add them to some walnuts, add him to fresh coconut.

A half cup to one cup works for many people. If blood sugar is a concern, start a little bit smaller. Eat berries as part of a meal rather than alone.

And you can also check your response and blood sugar elevations. A food can be natural and still affect people differently. So test don't guess. Number seven, garlic.

Garlic makes real food taste better. and contains sulfur compounds studied for vascular, blood pressure and lipid support. Crush or chop the fresh garlic and let it sit for about 10 minutes before adding it to a dressing, vegetables or the main dish.

That gives natural enzymes time to form allicin. Combine garlic, olive oil, lemon and herb, sea salt and you have a dress without the junk. And so many dressings are just loaded with things you don't need.

gums, flavor enhancers, seed oils you don't need. Culinary garlic and standardized extracts are not interchangeable, so active compounds vary among fresh garlic, aged garlic garlic oils and supplements.

Garlic in a meal is food. An extract is a supplement with a particular dose and formulation. If you use one, especially if you're on an anticoagulant or antiplatelet drug or have surgery planned, review it with a knowledgeable clinician.

So let's put together the whole thing. Your grocery list is things like leafy greens, beets, genuine extra virgin olive oil, avocado, nuts and seeds, wild fatty fish, seasonal berries, and fresh garlic.

One meal could be wild salmon over arugula with avocado, walnuts, and a garlic lemon olive oil dressing, followed by a small bowl of berries. That is satisfying, easy to make, nutrient-dense food.

No fear, no calorie-counting circus, that's for sure. Do not try to rebuild your entire diet overnight. This week replace one fake food habit with one real food choice.

Replace bottle dressing with freshly made olive oil, lemon, garlic, and some sea salt. Replace your typical dessert with berries. Or replace one dinner with wild fish and the greens.

Choose the change you can repeat. And remember, food is powerful, but it's not the entire answer. At Natural Heart Doctor, we use the 100-year heart method.

Eat well, live well and think well to get that morning sunlight. Protect your quality sleep. Move your body around. Reduce toxic exposures. Then test don't guess so you see how those changes fit your biology.

If you want help understanding your results and deciding what to do next, grab a free discovery call with the Natural Heart Doctor team through the link below.

We'll learn more about your concerns and help you determine the most appropriate next step. Share this video with someone over 50 who is afraid of what put on their plate.

Real food should not create fear. It should help take back control of your health. And that's exactly what we do at Natural Health Doctor, your home for the 100 year heart.