Having high cholesterol has been a part of my life for around 7 years right now so this subject is close to my heart.
I was first diagnosed around 2006 or 2007 and since then Iâve been on a Crestor medication (on and off).
And anybody whoâs taken these types of medication will tell you itâs not good for the liver. So Iâm looking for recipes to lessen my dependence on this drug.
If youâve read my first juicing journal, youâve probably know why I started juicing, yup high cholesterol.
So far Iâve tried around 6Â recipes and counting, Iâll share them with you here.
Before I start, letâs talk a little bit about cholesterol, its harmful effects to our body and why you shouldnât neglect this condition.
What is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is actually a lipid or fat produced by the liver, around 1,000 milligrams per day to be exact.
In fact cholesterol is vital to our bodyâs function. One of those functions is the production of sex hormones. I bet you didnât know that.
According to Harvard.edu, cholesterol has 3 main functions:
- Aids in producing the outer coating of cells
- Helps in the digestion of food in our intestine
- Helps in the production of hormones and Vitamin D which produces sex hormones in men and women
If you look at it, cholesterol isnât bad. It is I should say vital for our bodies function but it becomes bad if there is too much of it.
Not all cholesterol is bad
There are actually two types âthe good cholesterol or HDL (high-density lipoproteins) cholesterol and bad cholesterol or LDL (low-density lipoproteins).
HDL is what picks up bad cholesterol from the blood vessel and takes it to the liver where it is processed and disposed out of our system.
LDL is the cholesterol we want to get rid of because too much of it clogs up the blood vessels and arteries that can lead to cardiac arrest.
Experts say that even though we donât eat another French fry, our liver would still produce enough cholesterol for our body to function properly.
Lifestyle is a huge factor
The problem of high cholesterol lies in our lifestyle, because of the rise of fast food and a fast-paced lifestyle; we eat more and more McDonalds than a homemade meal.
If youâve watch the documentary Super-Size Me, it is like a death sentence.
On its own bad cholesterol cannot leave the blood vessel. It needs a protein that will take it from the blood vessel back to the liver and out of our system.
This is where HDL (high-density lipoproteins) or good cholesterol comes in. This is the type of cholesterol that we need to remove bad cholesterol from our system.
Why you should NOT ignore high cholesterol?
High cholesterol is the main culprit to diseases such as stroke, heart attack, atherosclerosis (or narrowing of the arteries) and angina.
Foods that help lower high cholesterol
Almost all fruit and vegetables will help lower down bad cholesterol levels because they contain soluble fiber that absorb dietary cholesterol.
Green leafy vegetables are rich in vitamin B12 help improve circulation.
Vitamin B12 helps
Foods rich in Niacin or B3 such as avocados, kale, mushroom, asparagus, peas, sweet potato, broccoli, carrots and green pepper will help decrease cholesterol production in our system. And at the same time flush out bad cholesterol according to the Worldâs Healthiest Food website.
Vitamin E is one of the essentials in fighting LDL as it helps prevent oxidation of cholesterol or in simple terms it prevents cholesterol from clogging the arteries. I
It is abundant in vegetables such as spinach, squash, chard, spirulina and fruits such as blueberries, blackberries, boysenberries, guava, kiwi, mango, nectarine, peaches, and papaya.
Don’t forget Vitamin C
Vitamin C that also helps prevent oxidation of bad cholesterol can be found in fruits such as mangoes, passion fruit, pineapple, strawberry, kiwi and guava. And vegetables such as kale, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, Bok Choi, Swiss chard and butternut squash.
Just for your reference, here are foods that can help lower bad cholesterol.
How can you lower cholesterol levels?
It takes self-discipline and a total change of your lifestyle to lower your cholesterol levels and it starts with what you put in your body:
- Avoid saturated fat and trans-fat which means no fast food and no fried food in your diet.
- Eating foods high in insoluble fiber such as whole oats, oatmeal, cereal, couscous, brown rice, celery, broccoli, onions, cabbage, dark leafy greens, and green beans will help flush out the bad stuff out of your gut. Experts at Harvard recommend that you get at least 20 to 35 grams per day.
- Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet. This is a no-brainer, fruit and vegetables contain anti-oxidants that help neutralize the spread of free radicals in our system and prevent the oxidation of cholesterol (or clogging).
The next step is to increase your activity level and exercise more. According to WebMB, studies show that regular exercise help stimulate enzymes that move LDL (or bad cholesterol) from the blood vessels to the liver.
You’ll need 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity per day
The American Heart Association recommends between 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity a day. Aim for at least a moderate intensity activity like jogging, swimming, walking or biking.
While regular exercise does not guarantee to lower cholesterol because of factors out of our control like genetics, heredity and age, it can help improve overall health and reduce risk for other diseases like cancer, diabetes, stroke and obesity.
Combine exercise and the right diet
Remember to regularly exercise and eat the right food that means more fruits and vegetables, fish, legumes, oats, fat-free dairy, and omega-3 rich eggs.
Be careful when using oils â use canola, olive or grape seed oils and skip the saturated stuff because itâs bad for you.
Some tips
Rika Susan shares these 10 simple tips on how to lower your cholesterol minus the medication.
If youâre under medication, ask the physician about the lowest dosage you can take so your liver wonât take a pounding and have a regular blood test to monitor cholesterol levels.
The Recipes
I got these recipes from juicing and health blogs around the web and Iâve TRIED every one of these recipes to give you a heads up on the flavour.
This is very important, especially to people starting out because the last thing I want to do is recommend something that tastes so bad itâll discourage you. Juicing need not be a chore!
The recipeâs here is only meant to be a guide, donât be afraid to experiment with the amount of fruit or vegetable youâll put it. Of course the more vegetable you put the better.
Recipe 1
- 2 carrots
- two celery ribs
- 2 green apples
This recipe will only yield around 375ml (a little more than a can of coke) of juice so just add a bit more if youâre juicing for 2 like I did.
You can add a watery vegetable like cucumber to dilute it further and yield more juice.
I found this recipe from Sara Dingâs blog juicing-for-health and it was sweet with a tiny bit of celery bitterness but not too much.
Important notes on preparation:
- I chopped the celery around Âœâ to Ÿâ long so it does not clog the pulp ejector (if youâre using a juicer like the Omega VRT).
- Carrots are chopped into thinner pieces so that itâll fit the opening.
- I also chopped the green apple into small enough pieces thatâll fit in the opening. I removed the seeds and stem (just a personal preference).
Recipe 2
- 2 green apples
- 3 celery ribs
- 2 capsicums
- 1 slice lemon (unpeeled)
This is similar to recipe 1 the difference is that this recipe used a slice of lemon and capsicum instead of carrots that completely changes the flavour. I added 3 celery ribs just to experiment, in Sara Dingâs original recipe it only called for 2.
Expect a lemony flavour with this one even though it has only one slice in it. I tried peeling the skin but I had a hard time so I just included it. It shouldnât affect the flavour too much â with or without the peel.
If you canât find any capsicums or if itâs too expensive, try to use bell pepper itâll yield less juice (around 400ml) and look different but itâll taste the same.
Recipe 3
- 1/3 bag of spinach (around a handful)
- 1/2 bunch of parsley
- 4 carrots
- 1/2″ ginger root
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 apple
I found this recipe in Dr. Stephen Sinatraâs blog and he recommends that you take this every day. He claimed that this recipe helped lower down the cholesterol level of one person from 300mg/DL to 190mg/Dl just by taking this over a 4-week period without any medication, pretty amazing.
Any concoction that has ginger will have a kick, and this is not exception. The spiciness of this drink may not be for everyone, you could add a bit more apple to sweeten it a little bit.
Important notes on preparation:
- I chopped the parsley, spinach, ginger into shorter bits of around Âœâ to Ÿâ so that it will not clog the pulp ejector (do this if you’re using a slow juicer)
- I put in the garlic whole (peeled of course)
Recipe 4
- 3 apples
- 4 celery ribs
- 1/4 thumb ginger
- 1/2 lemon (with skin)
- 1 orange (peeled)
- a few handfuls of spinach
The spinach, I just played by ear, you noticed in the photo that Iâve included the stems. You could also buy organic and only juice the leaves but the stems also provide added nutritional value and more juice. This recipe will yield roughly 790ml, around 2 big cups.
Update (July 2, 2014) – I’ve tried pre-washed organic spinach it didn’t come out well, it was thick, slimy, not very palatable for me. If you’re buying something that’s pre-washed go for the baby spinach instead, it’ll taste better.
It tasted a bit sweet with a hint of lemon sourness and because it has ginger, it has a bit of kick in it.
The flavour was pleasant if you ask me â a great natural energy drink to start your day off with, particularly if you didnât get enough sleep which I didnât get before making this drink.
Recipe 5
- 4 carrots (peeled)
- 3 ribs celery
- 4 broccoli heads (or 1 broccoli stem)
- 1 cucumber
- one green apple
- 1 romaine lettuce (or Kale leaf)
- 1 lime (peeled)
I got this recipe from Juice Lady Cherie and it will yield roughly 625ml of juice.
This tasted like a lot like recipe 4 because it used 1 green apple and 1 lime, a bit sour and sweet. If youâre concerned with fructose then use lemon instead because it very low fructose and it masks the bitterness dark green greens have.
Recipe 6
- 3 apples
- 2 celery ribs
- 1 cucumber
- a thumb ginger
- 1 lime
This will yield roughly 410ml which should be good for 2 people, just double the ingredients if you feel itâs not enough.
I found this recipe in JuiceRecipes.com, if youâre looking for condition-specific recipes. Visit their site as well as it contains tons of free recipes like this one. The ginger and lime will give you something sweet with a kick. Youâll barely taste the bitterness of the celery.
Bon Appétit
If you have any recipes to share, please share it below, Iâd love to hear from you.
Thanks for this informative piece! I’m going to send my mom, she has high cholesterol.
Aysha,
Your welcome and thank you for dropping by. I’ve been battling it for over 7 years now and only recently have I been taking it seriously. How high is her cholesterol level? If you don’t mind me asking. Juicing and drinking lots of water has been good for me so far, I’ve been able to drop my blood sugar level around 5 points and it is below 90 right now.
Let me know the results when she does another test.
All the best,
Garrick
Super article you’ve put together, Garrick! Thanks for the mention! Appreciate it. Yes there is a lot we can do with juicing to help control cholesterol. Love the recipes you are giving here. Have shared on Facebook and Twitter.
Susan,
You are welcome, I often visit your sites for nuggets of info about juicing and health. Appreciate you sharing your expertise. :) keep up the good work
These juices sound delicious! I plan to try them.
Hi Diatta,
Great to see you here. Let me know how it goes.
Hi Garrick,
This is such an important post. So many friends and family members of mine have high cholesterol levels. I am definitely going to share this article with them as well as my social media network. Thank you so much for sharing these helpful cholesterol-lowering juice recipes and lifestyle tips with us at the Healthy, Happy, Green and Natural Party Blog Hop!
Hi there, stopping by a little late, but wanted to let you know that I pinned your post to our Weekends Party Board and Healthy Recipes Group Party Board and a moment ago.
I would like to invite you back for Mondays Reflection to link new posts.
Enjoy your day!!
Hey Garrick,
Great article and great juice recipes for high cholesterol! Great extra tips such as regular exercise and eating fruits and veggies more regularly. Even though it is a no-brainer to many of us, there are many people who just need to hear it confirmed so that they have more motivation to do so. I just found this article today and will be sharing it all around on all of my social networks. Got to get the word out there. Good stuff!
Sean,
Thanks for dropping by.
Yes, this topic is very close to my heart because I’ve been dealing with this for almost a decade and what I’ve learned that the food you put in your body plays a biggest part on whether or not you’ll successfully lower your bad cholesterol. Of course exercise plays a part as well as the juice you drink but it all boils down in totally changing your diet and being disciplined enough to follow through.
Lastly, thank you for spreading the word, I definitely appreciate it.
Hi Garrick:
How many glass of juice you recommend to lower or keep control of our cholesterol?
Hi Limary,
At least one to two glasses per day.
I started making the juices on your article for my husband who comes from a long line of high cholesterol. within the first week he noticed he wasn’t getting as many headaches, witch was a huge concern for us. I’m not sure if high cholesterol causes headaches, but he’s loving the change. We looks forward to our juice every morning.
I didn’t suffer from headaches even when my cholesterol was at its highest level, maybe it’s a symptom of another ailment? Have you checked with your doctor?
hi garric,
what was your cholesterol level before and after juicing? how long did you juice?
so one glass a day is enough? Can i blanch the veggies to kill bacteria?
It went as high as 260+ then down to 160+ at one point then it hovers around 190+ right now. Remember that juicing is not a magic pill that will miraculously cure high cholesterol, diet plays a huge part. If I don’t watch what I eat, my cholesterol levels can easily go up so I have to watch what I eat – particularly sugar and other unhealthy foods.
Thank you for sharing these juicing recipes. I’ve just started into juicing and like to try Recipe #3 of Dr. Stephen Sinatra. I would like my juicing regimen to include carrots so that I can get essential minerals including calcium and potassium which help boost healthy digestive tract.
Green Juice recommended by a nutritionist for lowering cholesterol
2 green apples
1 cucumber
1 carrot
1 lemon
3 celery sticks
2 kale
1″ piece of Ginger
handful of spinach
This makes a large serving or two smaller servings
I usually make this and serve my husband and I.
Hi Garrick,
Thanks for the recipes! I will definitely try these juices!
I have two questions:
1. Is it really necessary to get a slow juicer or just abnormal juicer will do? I have a normal one.
2. I have both high cholesterol and high sugar. Will these juices also help for high sugar? I am thinking if I can just make one cup to lower cholesterol and sugar. Or I should take a cup for lowering cholesterol? And another to lower sugar?
Thank you so much!
Li Lian
Thank you for this article! Will start juicing for my husband who has high lipid levels. Is there a âbestâ time for drinking raw juice? Morning? Or before/after meal?
Thanks,
Joan