Can Portfolio Diet Lower Cholesterol?

We have come across many different kinds of diets, whether it is the Hashimoto's Diet or the Harvard Diet, each offers a different kind, along with addressing different needs. Today, on our plate, we have the Portfolio Diet, created by Dr David JA Jenkins, a British physician who is also credited for developing the concept of glycemic index (GI).

Studies say that this diet can lower your cholesterol levels and also promote a healthy heart. How? It adds certain cholesterol-lowering foods to your diet. The diet comprises 4 key ingredients:

• Soy protein
• Plant sterols
• Tree nuts
• Soluble fiber

Experts point out that eating more such foods can lower your cholesterol levels and protect you against any heart disease.

So how does it work?

The concept of Portfolio Diet is pretty simple. It requires you to simply replace certain foods in your diet with other ingredients which have lower cholesterol levels.

For instance, you can replace your meat and dairy with soy protein like tofu, tempeh, soy milk, and soy-based deli meats, or burgers.

Portfolio Diet encourages you to use margarine enriched plant sterols, which can become a great substitute for butter. These are naturally occurring plant compounds and can reduce your body's absorption of cholesterol. Furthermore, the diet also promoted foods high in soluble fiber. This is because soluble fiber absorbs water and forms a thick, gel-like substance in your digestive tract, which can improve digestion, lower cholesterol levels, and also reduce blood sugar spikes.

So, what includes in soluble fiber?

You can opt for fruits, vegetables, legumes, and flaxseeds. Wondering how much to consume each day on a daily basis? Then you may find this chart handy

• For soy protein, try to consume 35 grams per day
• Plant sterols is good at 2 grams per day
• For nuts, it must be consumed in moderation, meaning 1 handful, which could be around 23 almonds a day
• Coming to soluble fiber, consuming 18 grams per day can make a difference

What can you eat?

There are many things you can include in your diet, including:

• Fruits, especially avocados, pears, apples, oranges, bananas, kiwi, and peaches
• Vegetables: okra, eggplant, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and turnips
• Nuts: almonds, walnuts, macadamias, cashews, and pistachios
• You can also include flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, and chia seeds
• Whole grains are great for your body, try including oats, quinoa, brown rice and barley
• Soy protein could include tofu, tempeh, soy milk. soy cold cuts, and soy veggie burgers
• Legumes: black beans, kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas, lima beans
• Healthy fats: margarine and vegetable oils enriched with plant sterols

Foods to avoid

What tops the "dont's" list for food is not new to us. Of course there is processed foods like chips, pretzels, fried foods, convenience meals, and other kinds of processed meats which must be avoided.

Furthermore, you must avoid refined carbs like white pasta, white rice, white breads and tortillas. Avoid sweets like cookies, cakes, candies and baked goods. It is also advised to avoid table sugar, honey, maple syrup and brown sugar. Lastly, avoid beverages like soda, sweet tea, sports drinks, and energy drinks.