Want to Lower Your Cholesterol and be Healty?

If you have high cholesterol, that doesn't mean you have to resign yourself to a bland diet. In fact, a tasty salmon entree, a handful of sweet berries, or even a glass of red wine can all help to lower your levels and improve your heart health. The next time you go grocery shopping, look for these cholesterol-lowering treats recommended by the American Heart Association.

1. Extra virgin olive oil:

Studies have shown that this type of olive oil increases the body's levels of HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol), which helps to reduce plaque buildup in the arteries.

2. Beans:

Kidney, lima, black, navy, and pinto beans are rich in the fiber your body needs to help lower cholesterol. Research has shown eating 5 to 10 grams of fiber per day helps to lower LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) by 3 to 5 percent.

3. Oatmeal and oat bran:

Also high in fiber, oats contain beta-glucan, which helps to lower LDL levels. Oats also help regulate blood glucose levels, a benefit to those with diabetes.

4. Nuts:

Almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, and walnuts contain monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which are both known to lower cholesterol. Limit your daily intake to one and a half ounces (which is about one and a half handfuls), since nuts are high in calories.

5. Plant sterols and stenols:

These are natural substances found in small amounts in the cell membrane of plants, including fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds. You can get the recommended two grams per day by eating fortified foods such as margarine spread, orange juice, and salad dressings, but these should only be eaten by people with high levels of LDL cholesterol.

6. Salmon and omega-3 fats:

Omega-3s, found in fatty fish, like salmon, sardines, and anchovies, and in fortified eggs and soybeans, reduce nearly every risk factor for heart disease. They reduce inflammation, reduce high blood pressure, decrease triglycerides, help to make blood thinner and less likely to clot, and raise HDL cholesterol.

7. Alcohol:

All alcohol in moderation (no more than one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men) can be beneficial to the heart, but red wine in particular provides antioxidants that offer an extra nutritional boost.

8. Blueberries:

These antioxidant-rich berries also contain a compound that may help lower LDL cholesterol as effectively as some drugs do and with fewer side effects.

9. Cranberry-grape juice:

Antioxidants found in grape juice can help slow the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, and cranberry juice raises HDL cholesterol. Just be sure to purchase 100 percent juiceyou don't need all the sugar of a juice cocktail.

10. Yogurt with live active cultures (probiotics):

Several studies have shown that probiotics help lower LDL cholesterol by preventing the reabsorption of cholesterol back into the bloodstream.