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[H317]High Cholesterol And Diet

by Gloria Gangi, Glo

Changing your high cholesterol diet menu is easier than it may sound. It won't cost you as much as you think and the changes that result from it will made your life better. Your pantry will be the starting point. Here is where you may need to toss out some things and purchase substitutes but really that's all you have to do.

You need to begin by changing the things that you use such as salad dressings, and marinades, by changing these you can go a long way to reducing the amount of cholesterol in your diet. The way in which you cook your food can also change the amount of cholesterol in your diet. You will also find that when you change the way you cook your food it will taste better and be better for you.

Cooking Methods

Changing your cooking methods from a high cholesterol diet menu to a low cholesterol diet is not that hard either. By altering the way you prepare and cook food you can have a much healthier diet. Replace frying meat with broiling or grilling. The flavor of a burger, lamb chop, steak will be just as good when grilled or broiled instead of pan-fried.

Purchase a rack that you can use to drain off the fat after cooking. Whether you baked, roasted, or broiled the meat using a rack to drain off the fat before serving will help to reduce the fat content in your meals. When you baste meat during cooking use wine, olive oil, or fruit juice instead of the meat juices. This will still retain the flavor and keep the meat moist and tasty.

Planning what you are going to cook a day ahead can also help. When you cook a stew or soup for example, you will notice that after a day in the refrigerator fat floats to the top off the dish. By removing this fat on the top before serving will take you from a high cholesterol meal to a low cholesterol meal and by cooking a day before will help you also save you time in the kitchen.

Increase Your Vegetables

Vegetables have no cholesterol and by cooking your vegetables in a little bit of olive, canola, or sunflower oil makes them tasty and easy to prepare be sure to always include them as part of your meals. By increasing the amount of vegetables that you eat in a day will help you avoid a high cholesterol diet.

For desert substitute your creams and custard with fruit salads with fresh fruit and low fat yogurt. Try and avoid using canned vegetables and fruits when you are avoiding a high cholesterol diet menu, as these foods are high in salt.

Understanding the effects of a high cholesterol diet is a bit tricky. The effects of a high cholesterol diet on high blood cholesterol are not completely understood and there are so many variables that the information can be very confusing. Let's look at what cholesterol is, what high cholesterol means, what the effects are of a high cholesterol diet and finally, some super foods that can help you lower your high cholesterol.

To understand a high cholesterol diet, first you need to know more about cholesterol. Only foods that are derived from animal sources (including animal fat or lard) contain cholesterol. Cholesterol is synthesized in the body. It is used in cell membrane structure and also in the synthesis of steroidal hormones and Vitamin D. It does have some use; however, as it travels in blood through arteries attached to lipoproteins such as HDL and LDL, some of it sticks to the walls of the artery creating the condition known as atherosclerosis, a.k.a. clogged arteries. The higher the total blood cholesterol, specifically the LDL, the higher the incidence of cholesterol depositing on artery walls.

High blood cholesterol levels in individuals have been shown to increase cardiovascular disease rates. Total cholesterol in an individual should be less than 200 mg/dL. The total cholesterol is made up of LDL (low-density lipoproteins), HDL (high-density lipoproteins) and triglycerides. LDL, a.k.a. bad cholesterol, should be less than 100 mg/dL. HDL, a.k.a. good cholesterol, should be greater than 40 mg/dL and trigylcerides should be less than 150 mg/dL. If any of your cholesterol levels are outside these numbers, you've likely heard that you should avoid a high cholesterol diet, but why?

A high cholesterol diet is by name alone, high in cholesterol; however, studies are unsure as to whether or not dietary cholesterol is really the root cause of increased blood cholesterol levels. More importantly is the saturated fat intake that often occurs with a high cholesterol diet. High amounts of saturated fat have been shown to increase blood cholesterol levels in individuals. Food high in saturated fats are fatty meats and products produced using oils high in saturated fat such as potato chips, deep fried cuisine, and baked goods to name a few.

To muddy the waters a bit more, science isn't clear on why one person can eat a high cholesterol, high fat diet and not have high cholesterol(they may, however have other health issues), and another person will end up with high cholesterol on the same or even a better diet. The bottom line here is that a large part of high blood cholesterol can be contributed to genetics. Some people with high blood cholesterol respond well to environmental changes like diet and exercise therapy while others need medication to control their high cholesterol.

There are some super foods that scientists are finding out may help reduce blood cholesterol. Some of these super foods can even be used to replace foods in a high cholesterol diet.

Oats in oatmeal and oat bran contain soluble fiber. A daily amount of 5 to 10 grams of soluble fiber has been proven to lower LDL levels around five percent. Overall, the daily recommendation for dietary fiber is 25 grams. The remaining amount of fiber intake for the day beyond soluble fiber is 15-20 grams of insoluble fiber found in whole grains and other roughage such as celery. The best benefits from fiber are seen when both soluble and insoluble fiber are present in the diet.

Fish such as salmon, trout and sardines have high amounts of omega 3 fatty acids which not only lower LDL but raise the good cholesterol, HDL. Fish can easily replace the protein found in a high cholesterol diet.

Some nuts such as almonds, pistachios and pecans contain fiber, phytonutrients and Vitamin E. These nutrients have been shown to be beneficial in reducing cholesterol. Eat them in small quantities, though, because nuts are high in calories. Replace some of the protein in a high cholesterol diet with this super food.

Though the cholesterol in a high cholesterol diet may not be the culprit, the saturated fat almost always accompanies the cholesterol. So, ultimately, for optimum health, a high cholesterol diet should be avoided.

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About Author

Both Gloria Gangi & Darlene Nicholson are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Gloria Gangi has sinced written about articles on various topics from Disease & illness, Dog Kennels and Pets. Need more information on cholesterol and ways to reduce it then please visit:. Gloria Gangi's top article generates over 22200 views. to your Favourites.

Darlene Nicholson has sinced written about articles on various topics from High Cholesterol, Dieting and fast weight loss. From a sickly little girl to a healthy chef to the stars, Darlene Nicholson transformed herself into The "Kick in the Butt" Healthy Lifestyle Expert and creator of the popular DVD "The Healthy Grocery Store Tour". Grab a copy of her free ebook "4 St. Darlene Nicholson's top article generates over 6600 views. to your Favourites.