Lower Cholesterol Levels With Proper Diet

The state of the human body when more than the necessary amount of cholesterol circulates in the blood is known as high cholesterol. Cholesterol is an essential component of our body, but too high an amount of it leads to heart disease. This condition is the result of various factors. These include old age, sedentary lifestyle, and certain diseases. High cholesterol levels are often thought to be hereditary, thus a family history of the syndrome also increases risks.

How to lower Cholesterol

There are several ways in which cholesterol may be reduced. The first step to reducing cholesterol is leading a healthy lifestyle. A proper diet and an active lifestyle is a must for both prevention and cure of cholesterol. One must also give up smoking. However, if these are not enough for lowering cholesterol, one must take the help of medication. Several cholesterol lowering drugs are available in the market. These drugs raise the levels of good cholesterol (HDL) and lower the levels of bad cholesterol (LDL). Some of the medicines commonly prescribed by doctors are:

1. Statins

2. Absorption Inhibitors

3. Natural Supplements

4. Omega-3 Fatty Acids

5. Niacin

happinesslifetime.com Low Cholesterol Diet

A proper diet is the best way to control cholesterol. A diet low in cholesterol should be planned with the following points in mind:

-Plenty of fruits (especially seasonal fruits) and all types of leafy vegetables should form an essential part of one's diet. Fruits and vegetables are not only full of vitamins and minerals; they are also very low in calorie and fat content.

-Consumption of saturated fats should be brought down to a bare minimum.

-Partially hydrogenated oils have trans-fat which increases cholesterol; these too should be avoided.

-High intake of carbohydrates also increases cholesterol. Refined flour must be substituted by whole grains and whole grain flour.

-Milk and dairy products must be low fat or skimmed.

-Lean meats such as chicken and turkey are a healthier option than red meats such as beef and goat. However giving up meat altogether is the best option.

-Olive oil and canola oil are high in unsaturated fats and thus healthier oils. These should be used for cooking and salad dressings.

High Cholesterol Foods

One of the ironies/tragedies of our life (especially for foodies) is that the better the taste of a food, the higher seems to be its cholesterol content. High cholesterol foods are those which have high amounts of saturated fat, dietary cholesterol, and trans-fats. High cholesterol foods are also low in fiber content. Common high cholesterol foods are French fries, all types of fast food such as burgers, chips, foods containing eggs and refined flour and sugar such as pastries, cookies, cakes, chocolates and other sweets. Two basic components in food lead to high cholesterol. These are:

-Saturated fat, which is mostly found in animal products.

-Dietary cholesterol, a component in most animal foods.

Foods to Avoid - High Cholesterol

The following are the foods to avoid high that contain high cholesterol: butter, eggs, ice-cream, cream, cheese, whole milk dairy products, shrimp, organ meats like kidney and brain, duck, goose, and all foods containing saturated fats and oils such as beef, veal, egg yolks, fried food, fast food items, coconut, commercially baked foods, processed meat, palm oil, margarine, and ice-cream.

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