Cholesterol is only found in animal foods. I know that comes as a big surprise, but bad cholesterol is truly only found in animal foods such as meat, fowl, fish, egg yolk and milk products. It comes from saturated fat. Most fats from animals are predominantly saturated.
Fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts contain no cholesterol. That is because the fats are polyunsaturated. The exception is Coconut oil with a high level of saturated fat (not cholesterol) that will raise your cholesterol level up if not used in moderation.
You can tell the difference because one is solid (saturated) and the other is liquid (polyunsaturated).
Chicken and Fish and Fowl (Turkey) have as much cholesterol in them as red meats do. In fact: One 3 oz serving of pork has just a little more cholesterol (76mg) than the chicken breast without the skin (73mg). Switching one kind of meat for another is not the ultimate solution for cholesterol control.
Meat, fowl and fish account for 35% of the cholesterol in the american diet equal to 35% from egg yolks and followed by milk products (ice cream, cheese, milk...) 16%, cooking fats 6% and other 8%.
A study done by Loma Linda Medical University shows that those who consumed nuts less than once per week had the highest risk of heart attack. Those who consumed nuts one to four times per week lowered their risk about 25 percent and those who consumed nuts more than 5 times per week cut their risk of heart attack in half. Many health professionals warn of high fat from nuts and were shocked at this studies results. By the way, walnuts and almonds are the best. Peanuts are not nuts, they are a legume.
Another study showed, women who eat 4 or more teaspoonfuls of margarine a day have a 66% greater risk of heart disease than women who have margarine less than once a month. It's the trans fats. "Vegetable oils should be used in their natural state," said the lead researcher.
High fiber is another very important key to reducing cholesterol. The more fiber the better. Heart disease is directly linked to a low fiber diet. This diet would be rich in fruit, vegetables, nuts and grains.
One thing you should know, stored foods like ice cream, cakes, cheese and milk...with cholesterol in them from the animal products used to make them have a lethal damaging effect on arterial walls. This is due to the oxidation to the cholesterol caused by the air it is exposed to, "Oxidized Cholesterol". This may turn out to be one of the most important dietary factor that influences heart disease risk. This world wouldn't be much fun if we couldn't have our cake/ice cream and eat it too!
Good news! Your local health food store has wonderful egg replacers (I like Ener-G, it's powder and it comes in a box). I am amazed at how good the cake is using these. You won't miss the real eggs at all.
As far as ice cream goes, there are some very tasty soy alternatives on the shelf these days. Companies have been waking up to the consumers demand for heart healthy and tasty alternatives for some time now and they are getting pretty good at it. I should know, I'm very picky myself and so is my 15 year old daughter. Experiment and find out which ones are best for you.
Just think, if you have to throw one or two in the garbage, it's better (and cheaper) than throwing the only heart you'll ever have in the garbage by continuing to eat the real thing.
Healthy Ice Cream Tip: Freeze your favorite fruit ahead (organic banana's have a sweeter taste). Pour some of your favorite soy milk or water in the blender, add some sweatener to taste along with enough fruit to make an ice cream consistency. Yum!
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