Easy Ways to Reduce Cholesterol & Raise Energy Levels

Some super-easy ways to reduce cholesterol AND raise your energy levels. I have very little free time, no time-consuming complicated recipes on this blog - so read on, have no fear.  :)  These are some simple every-day things that you can include in your regular meals, this is not a full meal plan.

Morning

• Have 6-8 overnight soaked and peeled almonds on an empty stomach. Increases good cholesterol big time, also high in vitamin E, calcium, phosphorus, iron, magnesium etc.
• Overnight oats.  Soak a cup of oats in milk the previous night. Add nuts and cut fruits. Keep in fridge, have in the morning.
• Oats Omelette. A good way of getting the oats in. :)
• Banana Walnut Smoothies: Great way to start your day!
• Cold banana milk shake is also a great way to reduce acidity and calm the stomach, apart from getting a boost of energy.
• Make Oats dosa. Keep powdered oats ready. Add some rice powder and rava to help make it crispy. Also some wheat flour if you want. Add water and mix well to flowing consistency. Cook on a non-stick pan. Goes with sambar, podi, chutneys etc.
• Dosas: Probably one of the easiest tastiest ways to improve your family's health! Getting a table-top dosa grinder and making your own batter is one of the best investments you can make in your family's health. Nutrition-packed super-crispy dosas that I have been making for more than a decade. Really makes for a great start to the day. See photo in this post - tastes as good as it looks, I have guests who eat 8-12 of them. :)
• Fragrant crispy Adai with Saunf and Green Leaves. Add drumstick leaves if you can get.
• Green gram dosa with spinach. Again, super-easy!
• Add these ingredients to coconut/peanut/any other chutney - all cholesterol-reducing agents.
• Always add a green leafy vegetable in your omelette. Along with crushed garlic.
• Have Fish Liver oil supplement tablets after breakfast if you can't have fish regularly. Great way to get those Omega 3 Fatty acids in, a great way to reduce cholesterol. Seven Seas cod liver oil is easily available in all medical shops.

Lunch

• Rajma, kabuli chana, black chickpeas (kadalai) are excellent sources of high fibre, which helps reduce cholesterol. You can either have them as a dish (with little oil) or as salads.
• For salads: Add cut onions, green chillies, tomatoes/lime juice, coriander leaves, and peanuts to make a very tasty salad. You can add olive oil and avocado in these salads, which is another great way to increase HDL.
• If you are just having cucumber/onion/tomato/carrot salad, add some olive oil to it. With some salt and pepper for taste if needed.
• Add olive oil to your chapathis, while mixing the dough.
• Garlic Yogurt salad dressing: A great way of getting raw garlic in. Crush some fresh garlic and add to curd. Add a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Beat well to make a dressing. You could also add lemon juice and oregano to this.
• Flax seed powder: Super-excellent for cholesterol. You get flax seed chutney powder. I add it in my dosa recipe, see above. Another great way, I believe, is adding a bit in chappati atta.
• Avocado salads. This powerhouse of nutrients contains good fats that reduce cholesterol. Make easy salads with it with onions, chillies, coriander, lemon juice/tomatoes, peanuts etc.
• Grilled or steamed fish, or curry, if you have non-veg. Kerala fish curry, without oil.
• Drumstick/Muringa Leaf Soup. A powerhouse of nutrition and energy - and so easy it is ridiculous. :)  Just boil a whole bunch of leaves in a cooker with lots of water. Cool, strain out the leaves. Add some crushed pepper, salt, lemon juice. That's it! :) Take in a flask to work and sip all day - really raises your energy levels.
• Chicken. Apart from curries, you can cook chicken in a cooker with salt and pepper, shred and make great chicken sandwiches with other fresh ingredients.
• Groundnut Chutney powder, North Karnataka style - great way to introduce the goodness of fresh groundnut and garlic. Super-simple recipe. You can use it to make a chapathi roll or add it to dry subjis in the end, or add to sandwiches - very versatile!
• Kichdi: This is the easiest one dish you can make at one go, and pack every possible nutrient into it.
• Add millets to your diet. It is in my dosa and kichdi recipes. I also cook regular meals with half-glass rice, half-glass millets - add a little less water, 2 glasses instead of 2.5. The whiter millets really blend in and cook well, does not change taste.
• Raw onions: I believe, lower bad cholesterol, because of the flavonoids in them. Salads are obviously a great way. Or peanut masala! :) Though to be avoided if you are having antidiabetic medicines, according to this link.  

Dinner

• You could use the salads mentioned above.
• Soups made of various high-fibre vegetables - like green peas, broccoli, spinach, cauliflower, mushroom.
• Basic soup recipe: Fry some onion, add chopped garlic and stir for a min. Add your vegetable and stir-fry for a minute. Now cook/pressure cook with some water. Cool and blend. Add pepper, salt, herbs and bring to a boil. Simple! :)  Tastes really good. Add some lemon juice at the end to bring in a tangy flavor.
• Green peas and mint soup. Just boil green peas in a cooker. Cool and blend with fresh mint leaves. Add crushed pepper and salt. That's it. :) Very tasty, and the mint gives a very fresh taste.
• Super-easy Chicken Soup recipe here. 
• Raw Garlic Chutney: Raw garlic is supposed to be good to reduce cholesterol and is generally good for the heart and digestion, I believe - this chutney retains its goodness without its sharp taste.

Very happy to learn recipes from others, so please share, thank you. :)