How to Lower Your LDL the Bad Cholesterol

Eat less fat by staying away from fried foods, rich desserts, and chocolate candy.

Eat less fat, especially less saturated fat. Some fats are more likely to cause heart disease so keep your heart healthy and maintain a healthy weight.

LDL is also called "bad cholesterol" because high levels of LDL in the blood lead to fat accumulating and narrowing the vessel walls. LDL is the bad cholesterol that sticks to arterial walls and narrows the artery (like a clogged drainpipe).

LDL builds up on your artery walls leading to plaque formation. LDL cholesterol, the "bad cholesterol," clogs your arteries and is linked to heart disease.

Foods containing hydrogenated vegetable oil, which must be listed in the ingredients list on the label, might also contain trans fats. Chose with your health in mind and include more fruits, more vegetables, more grains and less of the sugary kinds of foods.

Foods that are high in fat and sugar usually contain plenty of calories and not so many nutrients, so they don't do your body much good.

Foods high in cholesterol and saturated fatty acids (steak, butter, whole milk, ice cream, hamburgers, egg yolks) are the primary source of our problems in this area. Foods rich in saturated fat include whole fat dairy products and fatty cuts of meats.

Healthy eating isn't about cutting out the foods you enjoy completely. Health experts recommend you eat at least five servings of fruit and vegetables daily fresh or frozen. Health experts recommend that you limit cold-water fish including swordfish and tuna to once or twice weekly, because of possible high mercury levels.

Healthy eating is about making small changes to the way you eat: eating some foods in smaller quantities or less frequently; choosing different varieties of foods

Eating fewer high-fat foods means more room for fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans. Eating too much fat of any type can add excess calories and lead to weight gain. Eating a diet with a low glycemic index may also promote use of body fat for energy-which could help with weight loss.

Heart disease is the #1 killer of people in the UK and US and many of us know that too much cholesterol in our blood increases our risk for this disease.

Calories are the real issue in weight loss and gain, but where you get those calories may affect your dieting success. Calories come from three nutrients-carbohydrate, protein, and fat.

Cholesterol is found only in foods of animal origin such as meat, poultry, fish, egg yolks and dairy products. Cholesterol can, like blood pressure, be lowered by changing the foods you eat but if you are at high risk of heart attack or stroke or if your cholesterol level is high enough, you may need to also take tablets.

Cholesterol forms arterial plaques that may lead to blockage of the arteries.

Saturated fats and trans fats are particularly harmful. Fat raises the level of cholesterol in the blood. Saturated fats are nearly always from animal foods.

Saturated fat raises blood cholesterol more than other forms of fat. Saturated fats, mostly from dairy and meat products, are not as healthy, although they do contain valuable nutrients.

Add foods to your diet that are high in monounsaturated fats, such as olive oil, canola oil, and seafood. Add peas, beans, barley and lentils to your favourite soups, stews and casseroles. Add a little water if items start to stick to the bottom of the pan. Add slices of avocado, rather than cheese, to your sandwich. Fish is a low-fat source of protein that may help to lower blood cholesterol.

Choose a diet moderate in salt and sodium. Choose lower fat versions of dairy foods whenever you can, such as semi-skimmed or skimmed milk, reduced fat yoghurt, lower fat cheeses or very strong tasting cheese so you don't need to use as much.

Choose milk with 1% fat or skimmed milk instead of whole milk. Choose tinned fish in brine or tomato sauce rather than in oil. Choose fewer products that are high in saturated and trans fats.

Choose foods with a lower glycemic index. Choose low-fat dairy products: reduced fat ice cream, cheeses and sour cream. Choose foods that do not have fats, oils or sodium listed as one of the first three ingredients. There are 9 calories in one gram of fat.

All this will help lower your cholesterol which is vital for optimum heart health.

Mark is the owner of losethatyre.co.uk which is a blog based around losethattyre.co.uk weight loss, he is passionate about helping people losethattyre.co.uk lose weight