Veggie Blog

Exercise helps lower cholesterol, but what you eat before and after your workout can either support that effort or undo it. A big plate of fried food or a sugary snack after the gym does nothing for your heart. This post shows how to refuel with foods that are friendly to your cholesterol, with ideas for breakfast, snacks and dinner.

Why does eating matter for a workout?

When you exercise, your body burns calories and uses up stored energy. Afterward it needs a mix of carbohydrates to refuel, protein to repair muscle, and a little fat. You do not need a special product for this. Ordinary food does the job, and choosing the right kind helps you get the benefit of exercise: the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute notes that physical activity can lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides and raise HDL. See the NHLBI page on treating high cholesterol.

What should you eat around your workout?

Bread and sandwiches: If your usual pre-workout snack is a white-bread sandwich with processed meat, try whole-wheat bread with a spread of natural peanut or almond butter and a sliced banana. Nuts and nut butters give you protein and unsaturated fat. Choose versions without added sugar, and keep portions modest, since they are high in calories.

Fruit: Eat whole fruit rather than juice. An apple, pear or orange, washed and eaten with the skin where that is suitable, keeps the natural fiber, which helps lower cholesterol. MedlinePlus lists apples, bananas, oranges, pears and prunes among the fruit rich in soluble fiber.

Bag snacks: If you go to the gym straight from work, pack something so that you do not end up in the vending machine. Carrot sticks, cherry tomatoes, a small tub of low-fat yogurt or a handful of unsalted nuts all travel well in a plastic container.

What makes a good dinner after exercise?

By the time you get home you are hungry, which is when fast food tempts most. Having a plan helps. A piece of fish or skinless chicken, baked or steamed, with a big portion of vegetables is quick to prepare and low in saturated fat. Beans, lentils, tofu and whole grains such as brown rice make a satisfying meatless dinner, and they give you soluble fiber, which helps keep the body from absorbing cholesterol. MedlinePlus explains soluble fiber and lists good sources.

Frying in a lot of oil adds fat and calories, so bake, steam, grill or sauté in a small amount of olive oil. Garlic and onions are tasty, low-fat flavorings that make vegetables more interesting. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health says that garlic supplements may lower total and LDL cholesterol to a small extent in people with high cholesterol, so enjoy garlic in your cooking for the flavor and do not count on it as a treatment. A bowl of low-fat yogurt with fruit makes a light dessert that will not leave you stuffed.

How long until it shows?

Cholesterol does not fall overnight. If you combine regular exercise with a heart-healthy diet, losing extra weight and having your cholesterol checked now and then will show you the results over months. High cholesterol raises the risk of high blood pressure, stroke and heart attack, so the effort is worthwhile. For more ideas, see our posts on exercise and cholesterol, what to eat to lower your cholesterol and moderate exercise for fitness.