Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that is naturally occurring in the body or can be acquired from food sources. Similar to fats, not all cholesterol is bad for your health. Cholesterol is not all evil; it also has components that are essential for the body to function properly.

There are two kinds of cholesterol: the “good” cholesterol and the “bad” cholesterol. The “good” cholesterol is also known as the high-density lipoprotein or HDL. It is important to maintain a sufficient amount of HDL cholesterol levels to be able to carry the “bad” cholesterol, also known as low-density lipoprotein or LDL, from the arteries back into the liver for excretion. Because of this, HDL prevents build up and clogging in the arteries resulting in lower risks of heart disease such as atherosclerosis and heart attack. Some food sources for HDL cholesterol are avocado, nuts and seeds, cold-water fish, organic eggs, organic chicken, grass-fed beef, olive oil, and legumes and lentils. Omega-3 fatty acid foods are also good sources of HDL cholesterol. Some examples of foods which supply Omega-3 fatty acids are fish, cold-pressed flaxseed oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, and dark green vegetables.