March is the month we (Americans) find out who will be crowned as the best basketball
team in college and if you’re one who enjoys watching the playoffs and then the finals,
you probably also enjoy snacking while watching.

If you do enjoy snacking, but must refrain due to high cholesterol levels,
hold on, there’s actually a popular snack that’s eaten during football, baseball
and basketball games that may help lower high cholesterol levels.
The snack: Guacamole.

That’s right, avocados do more than add creamy goodness to dips, tacos
and burgers. Eating 1/2 avocado a day curbs LDL (bad) cholesterol by 25%,
in about 2 weeks. Researchers say that the green wonder fruits are loaded
with something called beta-sisterol, which is an LDL-blocking plant compound.
Plus, they’re rich in friendly fats called “MUFA’s” that lower LDL levels.
Another great bonus: eat avocados for 2 months and you can lower LDL levels
by 75%.

More good news:
Now that you’re aware of the power of avocados and their ability to lower
LDL (bad) cholesterol, there are 2 more things you can do to really get
your numbers down and they are…
* Drink An Adult Beverage and Move Your Body.
Moving more is a no-brainer, as it’s recommended for almost every health ailment.
Researchers say that 20 to 30 minutes of exercise each day burns off bad cholesterol
in the body. So, get out on the dance floor, start a garden, go to youtube.com and
type indoor walking videos in the subject line and follow along or get outside
and start walking in a nearby park, on a hiking trail or around your neighborhood.

And the adult beverage: A bloody Mary.
Well, it’s actually the tomatoes that lower cholesterol levels, so if you’re a teetotaler,
skip the alcohol and make a “mocktail” a bloody Mary without alcohol.
A daily serving of tomato juice boosts your intake of lycopene by 25%, and that’s
enough to lower LDL levels as effectively as statins. The lycopene from tomatoes,
blunts the activity of enzymes involved in LDL production.
And lastly, if you’re not a fan of tomatoes or tomato juice, get lycopene from
other red colored foods like red grapefruit, papaya and watermelon.

There you have it, some simple and tasty things you can do this month
while enjoying March madness, to bring down your cholesterol levels.
And if you do plan on snacking on guacamole and bloody Marys this month,
just make sure to enjoy your guacamole with other health-enhancing foods
like cut-up veggies (celery, carrot sticks, sliced cucumbers and zucchini)
and not atop fatty burgers, tacos or with fattening chips.
And for those who enjoy adult beverages with their snacks-have one or two
drinks, any more and you’ll increase your risk of other health issues.

Sources:
* Australian Research Team
* Penn State University
* Columbia University-Research Dept.

Please make sure to pass this article on to family and friends who love March
madness and are dealing with high cholesterol numbers. Share it over at Facebook,
Snapchat, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Reddit, Tik-Tok and Twitter.

Thank-You!