For many people, finding out they have high cholesterol may come as a shock. While it is a serious health problem for many people, remedying the situation can be as easy as following a low cholesterol diet plan.
In fact, this will probably be the first thing any good doctor will recommend. The first time putting together this type of diet can be a little confusing, but there are many resources available to help with everything from food selection to meal planning.
The main thrust of a low cholesterol diet is to reduce not only the amount of cholesterol one eats, but also saturated fats and trans fats.
Many studies into the way cholesterol works in the body have found that these two types of fats are actually more responsible for high blood cholesterol levels than foods that are naturally high in cholesterol.
Examining your daily diet will be the starting point for any changes that need to be made. One of the first areas that will need to be looked at and changed is the daily intake of red meats.
These should be eaten in moderation and leaner cuts such as chicken and fish should be used. Red meats contain more saturated fats than more lean choices, which can lead to a significant cholesterol increase.
You should also bake, broil, or even use the grill as these allow the fats to drain away from the meat.
Frying is no longer a good way to prepare any foods as the oils used will just add fat back into the foods, negating any cholesterol lowering effects.
This will make for a change in many people's cooking habits, but there are tasty alternatives to frying out there. There are a variety of herbs, spices, and seasoning available that bring out and enhance the flavors of foods.
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Many of these seasoning also have additional health benefits and will open up a whole a new way of cooking that is healthy and full of flavor.
Dairy is another area that many people will need to make changes in. Most dairy products are high in saturated fat that must be avoided.
This does not mean that dairy has to be completely given up, but it is important to make the switch to low-fat products for all milk products, including cheese and butter. You can also substitute skim or soy milk for your daily milk consumption.
Another dairy product that can be confusing is eggs. The yolk of an egg is high in cholesterol, and many people separate the whites from the yolk before using just the egg whites in their low cholesterol meal plans.
The cholesterol in egg yolks is not necessarily bad if they are eaten in moderation. Of more concern are the saturated fats that many eggs are combined with, such as comes with bacon or sausage. This type of fat raises blood cholesterol levels more than the cholesterol found in eggs.
Starting a low cholesterol diet plan usually begins with your doctor. He or she can get you pointed in the right direction with the resources you need to take back control of your health.
You can also find any number of books and internet sites that are good resources for food selection, recipes, and meal preparation. A low cholesterol diet is not something to be afraid of. It is the first step in taking control of your health and living your life to its fullest.
The first thing you will need to do is examine your overall daily diet to see where changes have to be made. Start by looking at the dairy products you eat. Many of these have a high fat content, which is a major factor with high cholesterol.
You don't necessarily have to give up dairy, but it is a good idea to substitute low-fat selections when it comes to cheese, butter, and milk products. Skim or even soy milk is a good choice as well.
Eggs, or more precisely the yolk, are high in cholesterol, so it is a good idea to eat these in moderation, or separate the whites from the yolks before cooking with them.
Another area that needs to be looked at is meats and the saturated fats they contain. Eat red meats in moderation and choose only lean cuts.
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Chicken and fish make good choices in place of red meat, as long as they are broiled or baked. As soon as you bread and fry them,, all cholesterol reducing properties are lost.
In fact, saturated fats and trans fats both have a bigger negative impact on blood cholesterol levels than high cholesterol foods. By baking, broiling, or even grilling, the fat from the meat is drained away, which is much better from a health standpoint.
Because frying or preparing food in oil or animal fat will no longer be allowed in a low cholesterol diet plan, you will come to rely on more herbs and spices to flavor your dishes.
You will also be eating more vegetables that are steamed or baked to go with your main dish. This may take some getting used to, but it will open up a whole side of cooking that many people were unaware of.
You may even find that this new way of preparing meals is not only much healthier, but more flavorful as well.
I have looked at many low cholesterol diet plans, and I believe that I have discovered the main mistakes that I made in trying to lose weight. It appears that these mistakes were:
1. Giving up because I was on medication to lower my cholesterol. What I failed to realize was that the medication only reduces the amount of cholesterol made by the liver. They didn't have any effect on my weight because I was still eating too much.
2. Reducing my intake of one type of fat, but still taking too much of the others. Sure, I recognized that I should avoid sausages, meat pies and the like, but I was still using butter and eating cheese.
3. I didn't track down help from those qualified to teach me about diets. I thought I could do this on my own, now I know to search for help from professionals.
4.The biggest mistake, however, is this one. I gave up on my diet far too easily.
Now I am steadily losing weight, and keeping my cholesterol under control, by following low cholesterol diet plans that have been prepared by experts on the subject.
Low-fat foods. This will mean shifting eating and buying habits a little. Rather than reaching for whole milk, straight butter and even sour cream, healthier options will be necessary. On the upside, low cholesterol alternatives are available and most of them are rather tasty.
5.High fiber items. Foods that are rich in fiber tend to be natural cholesterol fighters. Entire grain wheat, whole grain rice, bran, and other such foods are wonderful for adding flavor to a meal while also helping to cut down on the bad cholesterol that can plague a body.
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6. Vegetables. Incredible, fresh vegetables and fruits are a welcomed part of any low cholesterol diet. Try to use seasonings apart from butter to spice up the act, however. Pepper, garlic, paprika and so on are great choices. Salt in an abundance is not. If butter is a must, go with a low-fat alternative.
7.Lean meats. A diet that is rich in red meats tends to also be high in cholesterol. Save the red meat for special occasions and make chicken, turkey, fish, and even white meat pork the mainstays on the menu. The lower in fat the meats are, the less cholesterol they tend to carry with them.
It Is Important to Keep Cholesterol Levels in Check
Many heart problems today can be blamed on high cholesterol levels, and most of them could actually have been prevented simply by following a low cholesterol diet plan.
Quite ironically, the diet of the average person these days consists of foods that contain very high amounts of bad cholesterol. Such foods include chips, fried foods, fast foods and prepackaged food items.
Due to the busy lifestyles that we have nowadays, these are the foods that many people go for due to convenience reasons. However, with the regular consumption of these cholesterol-rich foods, our risk of suffering from heart issues considerably increases as well.
If we want to reduce this risk, we have to start following a low cholesterol diet plan as soon as possible.
what are the best low-cholesterol foods?
red meats are among the top culprits that cause cholesterol problems in people. for this reason, the first step that you need to take in formulating your low cholesterol diet plan is to eliminate red meats from your daily menu.
Instead, opt for white meat like chicken and turkey, but make sure that you get rid of the skin and the fats before cooking the
vegetable oils for cooking instead of the regular cooking oils are also preferred in a low cholesterol diet plan. similarly, margarine and no-cholesterol butter products are better to use instead of the regular butter. for spreads, great low-cholesterol examples are smart balance light and smart balance omeg
another essential item in any low cholesterol diet plan is fiber. eating many high-fiber foods will help your body flush out excess cholesterol much more efficiently.
Fiber also prevents cholesterol buildup that can eventually clog your arteries and cause heart attacks. healthy foods that are rich in fiber include oatmeal, whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetable
In addition to following a low cholesterol diet plan, you can further reduce your risks of suffering from cholesterol-related health problems by exercising regularly. health experts recommend that you perform a 20 to 30-minute exercise routine daily to improve your blood circulation and reduce your bad cholesterol level.
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