Hello Runner,
Welcome back to your weekly moment of endurance nutrition!
Happy Weekend!
How are you this week? I hope everything is all right!
Right now I'm writing from Galicia!
My father came to spend a few days in Spain, and we came to spend a few days in the north of the country! I was already missing the Atlantic breeze.
I love the countryside/beach life, great for relaxing, eating well, and enjoying the scenery!
This week I took a break from work, studies, and training. But I'll be back soon!
Well, today's topic is a little different but very necessary.
I remember when I arrived in Barcelona to stay for good and got carried away with the food. After a few months, I had a complete blood test, and to my surprise, my cholesterol was at the reference limit.
I was startled because I've always had a good lipid profile, and my cholesterol has never reached the limit.
As a runner (it applies to non-runners too), it's important to maintain good cholesterol levels in the body and to take care of our heart health.
Think that once you have high cholesterol, the sacrifice to lower it will be greater. So the ideal is always to maintain good levels.
You don't need to go on any extreme dietary regime, but what you eat does matter and can make a big difference.
Here are some foods I recommend people incorporate more into their diet to benefit heart health and help reduce high cholesterol levels.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Lower your Cholesterol with these Foods
Oats
An easy first step to lowering your cholesterol is having a bowl of oatmeal.
Barley and other whole grains
(not suitable for coeliac)
Lentils
Legumes, beans in general, chickpeas (e.g., hummus)
Eggplant and okra
These two low-calorie vegetables are good sources of soluble fiber.
Berries
Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries… Frozen is great because it’s available all year round.
Avocado
A meta-analysis showed that eating 0.75 - 2 avocados a day can help reduce elevated cholesterol levels without compromising weight within a normal or reduced energy diet
Extra virgin olive oil
Extra virgin olive oil is one of the most important foods in the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet.
Vegetable oils
Using liquid vegetable oils such as canola, sunflower, safflower, and others in place of butter, lard, or shortening when cooking or at the table helps lower LDL.
Nuts
30g is roughly a small handful, so no need to measure or weigh it out. Great snack choice, our bodies don't absorb all the fats present when we eat them whole. Eating them slowly, one at a time instead of the whole handful at once, also helps with satisfaction and satiety.
Linseeds and chia seeds
Linseeds and flaxseeds need grinding up (and keeping them in the fridge).
Fatty fish
Eating fish two or three times a week can lower LDL in two ways: by replacing meat, which has LDL-boosting saturated fats, and by delivering LDL-lowering omega-3 fats. Go for salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, etc.
Green leafy vegetables
(and all vegetables really)
Dark leafy greens, such as kale, spinach, and Swiss chard, contain lutein and other carotenoids, which are linked to a lower risk of heart disease.
Fiber supplements
Supplements offer the least appealing way to get soluble fiber. Two teaspoons a day of psyllium provide about 4 grams of soluble fiber.
Gif by jenniferaccomando on Giphy
Remember, by making small, consistent nutrition changes to your overall lifestyle and dietary pattern, you can see lasting improvements to cholesterol and nutritional health.
Track of the week 🎧️
This week's Track of the Week is a nice song, for that nice, no-pressure pace!
I've chosen the track Finder (Hope) - Radio Edit by Ninetoes, Fatboy Slim
Any questions or something you would like to share, drop me an email
Wishing you a great weekend and week ahead!
Here’s to health and good runs⚡️
Ana Paula Alonso