Cholesterol is a major contributing factor in causing heart attacks. However, our own bodies create cholesterol so it can not be all that bad. In fact, we need some cholesterol and besides that there are two kinds, one of which is called ‘good cholesterol’ and the other as ‘bad cholesterol’.
LDL (low-density lipoprotein) is the ‘bad cholesterol and HDL (high-density lipoprotein) is the ‘good cholesterol’. Both are fatty, waxy substances made by the liver that float around the body in the blood. LDL levels can rise to the point that it can block blood vessels and interfere with the operation of the heart resulting in heart disease and heart attack. LDL comes mostly from the ingestion of saturated fats in red meat, full-fat milk, cheese and cream and from hydrogenated trans fats.
HDL helps clear out the LDL, so a diet that is useful for cholesterol will attempt to reduce the consumption of LDL-producing food and increase the consumption of HDL-producing food. In general, the foods that do this are fruits, vegetables, grains and fish. However, a high cholesterol level (bad cholesterol, that is) is more complex than only diet. It is also important to maintain a healthy body weight and to exercise regularly.
Having healthy levels of cholesterol is actually an on-going maintenance programme and has a lot to do with just living an lively, healthy life. This means not eating a lot of red meat, eating fish twice a week, consuming at least five portions of fresh fruit and vegetables a day, not over doing the dairy products, drinking skimmed milk (or none at all), cutting back on cheese and varying your diet and exercising every day, even if it is only in the form of going for a walk twice a day.
Although there can be genetic reasons for high cholesterol, most individuals can solve this problem fairly easily by exercise and diet. Doctors say that cutting out all forms of saturated fat and trans fat is the single most valuable manner of decreasing your LDL cholesterol levels, so that is the obvious place to begin. Grains and pulses are good because they contain so much fibre which is practical for removing cholesterol.
This suggests that eating porridge in the morning instead of bacon but eggs and having some form of lentil soup with whole grain bread before dinner would be steps in the correct direction. Snacks throughout the day and sweet at mealtimes should be fruit. Citrus fruits are particularly good at helping to remove cholesterol
Other things of food that are consideration to lower cholesterol are nuts like walnuts yet almonds; onions but garlic; olive oil yet soya bean products. Although cooking in olive oil will help a lot, it is also a good concept to avoid frying whenever there is a possibility of cooking in another manner. Grilling but steaming are the best methods of cooking most fish yet vegetables and it assists retain the vitamin but nutrient contents of the food as well.
Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on numerous subjects, but is now concerned with low fat low cholesterol diet. If you want to know more, please visit our web site at What Foods Lower Cholesterol?