Food and Lower Cholesterol

As we have previously seen, eating is one of the things that can affect your cholesterol level the most.

If you have too high cholesterol, the foods that you eat can be one of the things you must control to most effectively and quickly lower your cholesterol. Actually, if you have elevated levels of high cholesterol, a healthy diet is the one thing that you must absolutely do in order to ensure your heart’s health.

Adapting to a Cholesterol Friendly Diet

Once your doctor confirms that you have high cholesterol, you must take steps to regain your health by following a low cholesterol and low fat diet. Sticking to a healthy diet will ensure that you reduce total cholesterol levels by as much as 15 percent. As an added benefit, this sort of diet will also make you feel generally healthier and more energetic as well.

You will benefit further with a regular exercise program. This will raise your  "good" HDL levels for a total “package” of healthy living. Do this and within as little as 30 days you will experience a renewed sense of energy and vitality. The effects will be almost immediate.

Following a low cholesterol and low fat diet requires that you do the following:

●  Get less than 7% of your day's total amount of calories from saturated fat. Try as much as possible to lower your saturated fat intake as far as possible. Your doctor might even recommend that you get a smaller percentage of your calories from saturated fat, especially if you have very high cholesterol.

●  Receive 25-35% or less of your day's total amount of calories from fat. Again, your doctor might recommend that you consume an even smaller, or a slightly larger, amount of fat than this.

●  Consume less than 200 milligrams of dietary cholesterol each day. Failing that, follow the limits for dietary cholesterol that your doctor sets for you.

●  Limit your sodium intake to 2400 milligrams a day. Sea salt is a better choice, but reducing your intake of salts altogether is best.

●  You should be resolved to eat only enough calories to improve your healthy weight and reduce your blood cholesterol level. Being overweight can contribute to cholesterol and to heart ailments. If you need assistance, get the help of a nutritionist or a dietician.

●  Refuse foods made with problematic trans fats such as margarine, salad dressing and sauces.

●  Enjoy foods high in soluble fiber. These foods include:

• Oats, rye, and barley
• Fruits, especially oranges and pears.
• Vegetables (especially brussel sprouts and carrots.
• Dried peas and beans.

●  Avoid the following foods for best health:

• High cholesterol foods. These include:
• Organ meats, including liver.
• Egg yolks.
• Full fat dairy products.
• Fried and processed foods. These are often high in fat and salt, which can cause havoc on your heart’s health. Limit and eat only in moderation if at all.
• Highly processed foods, especially processed meats such as deli meats, sausages, hot dogs, bologna, salami and fatty red meats.
• All foods that are fried, especially deep fried.

●  T ry to try to produce meals that have lower saturated fats. Try these food preparation methods for best health:

• Bake
• Broil
• Microwave
• Poach
• Steam
• Grill
• Roast - but be sure to remove fats which are melted in the process.
• Lightly stir-fry or sauté using low-fat and low-salt broth.

 

Read on for food choices to lower cholesterol