What Is a Low Cholesterol Diet?
Has your doctor told you that you need to go on a low cholesterol diet? Or maybe you have some family history of heart disease or other problems and you want to start early to stay as healthy as you can for as long as possible.
A diet of this nature is one of the best ways that you can eat to protect your heart. To eat this way simply means you’re watching that you eat. You’re actively limiting the bad fats – saturated and trans fat.
Some foods that are high in saturated fat include egg yolks, butter, meat with skin on (example fried chicken with skin), lunch meats, bacon, cheese, whole milk and sweets (also referred to as junk food).
Foods that are very high in trans fat are foods you’ll usually find that are quick and convenient to eat. These include fast food meals, especially foods that are fried or slathered in butter or margarine that’s easily spreadable (you’ll find these packaged in tubs). Quick-to-cook foods like frozen meals are usually high in trans fat, too.
Going on a low cholesterol diet doesn’t mean that you have to give up eating the foods you love. You have to find a cooking style to make the same dish in a healthier way. You also have to find a way to add the foods that are good for you to your diet that help you fight high cholesterol.
Foods that are good for keeping your cholesterol at a healthy level include beans, whole grains (if you eat white bread switch to wheat), fruit and vegetables. Look for margarine that contains sterol and stanols (these are plant additives) rather than trans fat. Learn to use olive oil instead of butter.
Replace processed, sugary breakfast meals that are high in saturated and trans fat with foods like oatmeal. Not only is oatmeal good for the heart and good for lowering cholesterol, but it also contains plenty of soluble fiber.
Eating fiber is a great way to control your appetite, which can lead to weight loss. Having a healthy weight is a way to fight back against bad cholesterol levels. Plus, soluble fiber works to lower cholesterol. Make sure that you add foods like bananas, onions and asparagus to your diet because they also help to win the war against bad cholesterol.
When you’re on a low cholesterol diet, you want to watch the appearance of the meat that you get. The more white (often called ‘marbling’) that you see present in a cut of meat, the more fat it contains.
Look for meats that have less of a marbled look to them. Make sure that you add fish to your weekly menu planning. Fish contains omega-3 fatty acids, which are known to lower cholesterol. Buy fish such as salmon, tuna, or trout to aid you in getting your cholesterol lowered.
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