Eat To Your Heart's Content (And Health)

Naini Setalvad gives us various options for foods that help keep our ticker in tip-top shape

- Naini Setalvad

The previous year of the pandemic had a lot of people pull up their socks and take their health seriously. On the flip side, though, a lot of people decided to tide over this time of crisis by taking comfort in pizzas, butter chicken, and biryani. This has led to my phone incessantly ringing with enquiries on how to reduce spiking cholesterol levels. Observing this rise in cholesterol, I’d like to share with you foods that I recommend for this reversible condition.

Fibre: As children, we were constantly reminded to eat our vegetables. I hope you have all paid heed to this advice to stay clear of conditions like high cholesterol. Fresh green vegetables and fibrous fruits increase bowel load and clear out unhealthy fats. Eat seasonal foods and be sure to have your grapes along with the seeds as seeds lower your bad cholesterol.

Allium: My meals are incomplete without condiments like garlic and onion. These Indian staples add the right amount of zing to every dish. I can vouch that besides being flavourful, they also impart the compound allium to our dishes. Allium is known for its many benefits, especially its cholesterol-lowering power. Get your allium dose by adding garlic and onion to your salads, tadkas (tempering), sautés, or vegetables.

Turmeric: You are probably wondering how this spice makes an appearance in all my articles. But what can I say? Its versatility has no bounds! Among its numerous benefits, turmeric is useful in lowering cholesterol as well. My go-to turmeric would be the darker variety with its higher therapeutic benefits. It is best to have turmeric as part of a tempering, as fats like