Daily Fit Tip: Steer toward sterols

You know that eating foods like greasy burgers and fries can give your cholesterol level an unwanted boost. But there are foods you can eat that will lower your cholesterol.
Plant sterols and stanols can have a positive impact on your cholesterol levels. In fact, adding just 2 grams of these to your diet each day can reduce your bad cholesterol levels by as much as 10%. You can find sterols and stanols naturally in some fruits, vegetables, healthy oils, and nuts. There are also some products that are fortified with plant sterols and stanols to increase their heart-healthy benefits.

Plant sterols and stanols are tiny little tricksters. Structurally, they're very similar to cholesterol -- so when they go through the digestive tract they give artery-clogging cholesterol some competition. Subsequently, not as much cholesterol can be absorbed into the bloodstream. And plants sterols are something you want absorbed into your blood stream; they act as the building blocks for hormones, vitamins, and cell walls.

You can find plant sterols and stanols in fortified foods, like some margarines. But there are plenty of sources from nature:

• Corn oil
• Sunflower oil
• Beans
• Corn
• Peanut butter
• Olive oil
• Almonds
• Oranges
• Apples
• Avocado