The Basics Of A Diet Designed To Keep Your Cholesterol Healthy

Your doctor or nutritionist will tell you that a diet designed around fruits and vegetables and plant foods will be good for your cholesterol levels. Here is a brief summary of the fruits and vegetables and other appropriate foods that will help you to maintain healthy cholesterol levels and about the foods that you consume when visiting fast food restaurants and how they can have an impact on your cholesterol levels.

Eating more fruits and vegetables help us in many ways to combat bad levels of cholesterol in our blood. One way is that when we eat a higher amount of fruits and vegetables we are more likely to eat fewer fats and snack food items that contain ingredients that increase our bad cholesterol (LDL) and decrease our good cholesterol (HDL). Eating healthier also aids in losing weight, getting a better weight in respect to our age and body build means that we are cutting back on another risk factor for high cholesterol (being overweight or obese). When we lose weight we are also more encouraged to exercise (less embarrassed to be seen at the pool or tennis courts and less winded while exercising).

Appropriate foods to include in our diet if we want to be heart healthy and lower our bad cholesterol are plant food products instead of animal food products, low-fat dairy products, fruits and vegetables and low-fat food items.

Dairy products can provide us with protein, calcium and other nutrients so we do not want to eliminate them from our diet, only reduce the fat content apparent in many milk and milk products. Choose low-fat cottage cheese instead of regular, choose low-fat or part-skim milk instead of whole milk, choose low-fat cheese instead of regular cheese and limit your intake of butter, cream and ice cream for those rare occasions when you are celebrating.

Animal products such as egg yolks, meat, poultry and processed meats contribute to high cholesterol (LDL). To be heart healthy choose lean cuts of meat, stay away from fish oil supplements and shellfish (shrimp and crawfish) and chose chicken and turkey instead of duck or goose when desiring poultry food items.

Plant products have the nutrients we need for a healthy diet without the cholesterol that animal products contain. Because our bodies can manufacture cholesterol in our liver, we really do not need the cholesterol in the foods we eat. Certain plant products can actually help lower the LDL cholesterol in our blood such as seeds, nuts, green beans, red beans and black beans.

Baked goods and processed goods are both bad for our cholesterol because they contain saturated fats and trans fatty acids. Read labels when ever making food choices. Baking desserts at home instead of buying them from the store is also a good way to insure that they are healthier for you in regard to saturated fats and trans fatty acids because when you bake at home you can control how you bake and the ingredients you put into the food items.

Fast food restaurants are tempting because the food tastes good and it is usually served fast eliminating the need to cook/bake foods at home.

Many of the food items on the menus of fast food restaurants contain grease because they are made with fatty, processed meats, cheeses and sauces all of which contribute to a high LDL cholesterol count, high blood pressure and increased weight gain. Better choices while visiting these fast food restaurants are grilled chicken or sliced meats, or a hamburger minus the cheese, and extra condiments or sauces. Instead of greasy fries opt for a baked potatoes instead. When ordering tacos choose the grilled chicken pitas or fajitas instead. Eat pretzels instead of potato chips and order low-fat or non-fat milk or water instead of that soft drink or milkshake. If you really crave these fatty fast food restaurant foods, at least limit your intake to once a month instead of several times a week and you will see a decrease in your LDL cholesterol level. You can also eat a salad and still increase your LDL cholesterol if you drown it in fatty-salad dressings! Watch your food choices if you must eat out and limit the occasions in which you frequent fast food restaurants so that you can indulge your desire for this type of food without denying yourself the pleasure of these foods or the good health that you deserve by eating healthier.

Recommended Reading

1. The Popularity Of The Low Cholesterol Diet
2. A Healthy Diet Equals Healthy Nails
3. A Look At High Cholesterol
4. A Vegetarian Diet For High Cholesterol
5. Lowering Your Cholesterol With