High Cholesterol Foods To Avoid

August 3, 2010 · Posted in cholesterol · Comment 

For those who suffer from high cholesterol the best and first way to control and lower their cholesterol levels is through their diet. But many people are confused as to what constitutes a high cholesterol food they need to avoid and a low cholesterol food. This is because there is a difference between dietary cholesterol and blood cholesterol.

Generally most health guidelines recommend that dietary cholesterol not exceed 300 mg per day for most healthy people, but if one suffers from high LDL blood cholesterol levels then this intake should be not more than 200 mg per day.

Cholesterol, a waxy like substance, is only found in animal meat and tissues and its sources include red meat, eggs, fish, poultry, and dairy products. On the flip side any food derived from plant sources is cholesterol free, including high fat plants food sources such as avocado\’s and peanut butter. This is where the confusion usually happens because eating large amounts of vegetable oil, which is virtually 100% food fat, can significantly raise blood cholesterol levels, particularly when eaten with high cholesterol foods.

The fact is that blood LDL cholesterol levels are highly influenced by the amount of saturated fat that one eats. There is a relationship between the amounts of saturated fat one eats the LDL cholesterol levels in the blood. For every one percent increase in calories obtained by eating saturated fat, blood cholesterol levels go up around two percent. Conversely for every one percent decrease in saturated fat intake cholesterol levels will reduce about two percent.

The thing to remember when it comes avoiding high cholesterol foods is that while doing so will decrease LDL cholesterol levels, reducing saturated fat intake has a bigger impact on these levels then many people are aware of. This does not mean that those who suffer from high cholesterol can eat high cholesterol foods, but they should be aware that there is more to reducing cholesterol then just this one thing.

The reason for this confusion with the way cholesterol can increase in the blood stream is the way many foods are cooked and/or served. Let\’s look at one of everyone\’s favorite breakfasts; bacon/sausage and eggs. We all know that eggs are high in cholesterol, but what we don\’t know is that the cholesterol in eggs has a small impact on blood cholesterol levels. It\’s the high amount of saturated fat in the bacon or sausage that has a far larger impact on LDL cholesterol levels.

Another culprit is deep fat fried foods. Many foods are for the most part harmless until they are breaded and fried in hot oil. In fact, many fish and seafood choices are considered to be good for us because of the omega-3 fatty acids that they contain, but as soon as they are deep fried and eaten any benefits are cancelled by the saturated fat that raises bad LDL cholesterol.

When it comes to high cholesterol foods to avoid it is important to remember that these types of food aren\’t necessarily bad in and of themselves if eaten in moderation. The real problem occurs when they are combined with high levels of saturated fat, which has a more profound effect on blood cholesterol levels.

To learn more about Low Cholesterol Food please visit the website Lowering Cholesterol by clicking here.

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How A Low Cholesterol Diet Can Help You

January 18, 2010 · Posted in cholesterol · Comment 

If you have found out from your doctor or from doing home cholesterol test that you have a high total cholesterol level, one of the first things you need to do is to change your diet to a low cholesterol diet to help you lower your cholesterol. This is because a high cholesterol level is very dangerous for you and might cause you serious heart diseases or even a heart attack.

A low cholesterol diet does not have to be hard to stick to, as you can still enjoy some of the foods you always like. However, you really need to stay away from foods that contain saturated or trans fats, as they are among the major leading causes to having a high cholesterol level.

To have a low cholesterol diet means that you should replace the saturated fat in your diet with unsaturated fat besides eating less high-cholesterol food and choosing foods that are high in complex carbohydrates. You should also make sure that you get more physical activity and try reducing your weight if you are overweight.

Determining What is Low Cholesterol Food and What Isn’t

Before starting on a low cholesterol level, you should first know what low cholesterol food is and what isn’t. This will help you create a diet which is low in cholesterol to help you lower your total cholesterol levels. There are many different types of food that can be classified as low cholesterol foods, so that you do not need to give all the food you love to have a low cholesterol diet.

Cholesterol is most usually found in foods of animal origin, such as meat, poultry, and eggs, including milk and cheese. In animals, cholesterol is part of the cell membrane structure of all cells. That is why removing the skin from a chicken will remove most of the fat, but will not remove all the cholesterol.

However, in dairy foods the amount of cholesterol involved depends on the amount of fat as milk is secreted from animal cells and not made up of cells like meat. Although it has no cholesterol-containing cell membranes, but because cholesterol is fat soluble, it can b found in fats in milk and milk-based foods. That is why if a dairy product contains more fat, it will also contain more cholesterol, so always choose low fat dairy products when sticking to a low cholesterol diet.

Converting To A Low Cholesterol Recipe

If you found out that you have high cholesterol, you must start converting some of foods you love to a low cholesterol version. You must also learn to live without some of the foods that have been causing you to get a high cholesterol level in the first place. Learning how to make your foods using a low cholesterol recipe is one way to lower your cholesterol levels

Converting your food to a low cholesterol recipe is not a very difficult thing to do. All you need is a little bit of willpower and you can start enjoying cholesterol free or lower cholesterol version of your favorite foods. The taste will not differ much as long as you know how to add flavor into your cooking without using saturated fats and other harmful foods that contribute to more cholesterol problems.

The easiest way to get started on low cholesterol recipe is to start with one day’s menu. You can include a safe amount of food fats into your diet at first so that you can ease the transition period from your normal food to the low cholesterol diet, and make this change easier on you.

A good way to start a low cholesterol diet with a low cholesterol recipe is trying a serving of oatmeal, honey, and an apple for breakfast. Mixing oats, fat free milk, and a little honey and chopped apple will make a great delicious cholesterol free breakfast. For lunch, you can follow up with a salmon and tomato sandwich with a side salad. For tasty salad dressing, you can try using lemon juice and black pepper as a low cholesterol option. For dinner, you can have stir-fried chicken breast, veggies, and some rice will make you enjoy your low cholesterol diet. You can also try using brown rice instead of white rice for a lower cholesterol diet.

Make changes one step at a time, and in no time you will start enjoying a healthier life with lower cholesterol level. These changes will prevent you from having heart diseases caused by your diet. You will soon find that you enjoy the low cholesterol food as much as or more than your previous high cholesterol food.

Author: Cindy Heller
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Excise Tax

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