The United States Department of Agriculture has refashioned the food pyramid of the past into the MyPyramid plan which considers age, gender and amount of physical activity you get each day. Still, this pyramid is a good way to know how much of each food group and what types of foods you need to eat each day to be at your healthiest.
One of the food groups included in a low cholesterol diet is made up of the grains you eat. You should make sure that you eat three ounces of grains each day. Make sure that at least half of this comes from whole grains. Whole grain products are those that contain the bran, germ and endosperm of the grain. The other form of grains are refined grains. The process of refining removes the grain and bran for a finer texture product, but also removes many of the nutritional benefits of grains.
Food Group
Another food group that is important for good heart health is vegetables. You should eat 2-3 cups of vegetables depending on your gender and age. Be sure to include more dark green and orange vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, turnip greens, squash, sweet potatoes and pumpkins in your diet. Dried beans and peas are also an important part of a low cholesterol diet. Good choices include black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans and black-eyed peas.
Fruits are another good food choice when trying to lower your cholesterol. Again, depending on your age and gender, you should try to include 1&1/2 - 2 cups of fresh fruits in your diet each day. Good fruit choices for your low cholesterol diet include berries, melons, apples and juices made of 100 percent fruit juice.
The next food group is one that you should avoid, or eat only sparingly. These are the oils and fats, such as butter. Although we add these generously to our foods, it is healthier to skip them altogether. Most people will get the recommended amounts of oils from the foods they eat. Good sources of oils include fish, nuts and vegetable oils. You should only consume about 5-7 teaspoonfuls of oils each day. A final note, avoid oils that are solid at room temperature, such as butter, because they contain saturated fats. Eating a diet high in saturated fats can raise your cholesterol level and should not be included in your low cholesterol diet.
Dairy Products
Dairy products are an important addition to your diet because they give you your needed daily calcium which is good for strong bones. You should include 3 cups of milk, cheese or yogurt in your diet each day. For good heart health and for your low cholesterol diet, stick with low fat or reduced fat dairy products.
Meats are another food group where you should watch what you eat carefully when you are trying to eat a low cholesterol diet. You should include 5-6 ounces of meat in your diet each day. The best choices are fish, poultry, nuts and seeds. Eggs are also included in this group, but if you want to lower your cholesterol level; you should limit the number of egg yolks you eat to 1 - 2 weekly. You should also grill your meats instead of frying them.
If your goal is to lower your cholesterol, try using the government's food pyramid as a guide for a low cholesterol diet. Then make low fat or fat-free choices to help you meet your goal.
The ratio is very simple but at the same time it is a serious matter of concern. You just can't take it for granted. The figures show that in every five adult persons of the world, at least one suffers from high cholesterol problem. And all other associated troubles with the cholesterol rise also make shelter in your body with this troubleshooter. Thus no more can you put off the issue restricting it to older people or obese fellows who normally are the victims of the cholesterol problem.
Basic reasons of cholesterol rise
- Unhealthy food with rich fatty substances
- Excess of oil and butter in the diet
- Low activation of the body and no physical labor
- Excess tension and pressure in the regular life pattern
- Genetic reason inherited from parents by their children
The last reason that is the genetic factor can happen in one of the five hundred persons and that is scientifically termed as hypercholesterolemia. It is found in the familial block where the LDL cholesterol known to have ill effects on the body is transferred in the gene factor of the next generation. You might be one of the unlucky fellows suffering from this problem.
Effective use of Lipitor
In the United States, a decade before the drug Lipitor was first made into use. Nearly the figure shows a record of 18 million people in the country using the Lipitor to lower the cholesterol level and hence keep a check on the body weight.
Lipitor originates from Atorvastatin. The basic function of Lipitor is to prohibit the formation of bad or LDL cholesterol in the body. How is it mad possible by this medicine? This drug regulates the specific enzyme present in the liver that works behind the formation of cholesterol in the body. Once the level of the production of this enzyme is checked, automatically the level of LDL cholesterol is brought under control.
Further regulation
Hindering the cholesterol formation path is the first step. Next, once the production of the cholesterol is less, the bloodstream can easily absorb it. The arteries can carryout the normal flow of blood without ant blockades that cause heart attacks. On the other hand Lipitor also enhances the production of good cholesterol or lipoprotein that keeps your heart healthy.
If eighteen million people have relied upon Lipitor, you too can use it provided you are not suffering from liver problems. Lipitor will maintain your cholesterol level and thus make you slim and smart.
Both Julia Carmichael & Johnporter 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.
Julia Carmichael has sinced written about articles on various topics from High Cholesterol, High Cholesterol and Types of Cancer. Get the latest in low cholesterol diet know how from the only true source at pages.. Julia Carmichael's top article generates over 2400 views. to your Favourites.