Easy Cholesterol

Three Successful Components to Maintaining a High Cholesterol Diet


Cholesterol is a fat that our metabolism requires in the healthy performance of many of our bodily functions; however, too much of a good thing can have the opposite effect. In fact, high cholesterol can jeopardize ones health and may lead to a stroke or heart attack.

There are two types of cholesterol, LDL and HDL. LDL, low-density lipoproteins, is the bad (l for lousy) cholesterol and HDL, high-density lipoproteins is the good (h for happy) cholesterol. It is the high levels of the LDL cholesterol that concerns the doctor and needs to be addressed.

Elevated cholesterol within the blood stream is caused by eating foods that contain too much cholesterol and saturated fat. Additionally, genetics plays a major role in high cholesterol.

High cholesterol can only be detected through a blood test, but is treatable. A common treatment program includes many components such as a prescription regimen and exercise; however, one of the simplest ways to control and reduce elevated cholesterol levels is through a high cholesterol diet.

Foods to Avoid

Foods to avoid while on a high cholesterol diet are those foods classified as high in saturated fat. Saturated fat is derived from ingesting a variety of meat products, dairy products, and some plants. A diet high in saturated fats puts the person at risk for the medical condition known as arteriosclerosis.

Meats to avoid in a high cholesterol diet are those products defined as fatty meats, including highly processed meat (frankfurters, sausage, bologna), red meat (ribs and steak), and bacon. Also it is import to reduce your intake of organ meats, such as the liver and kidneys of animals. These particular diet items are very high in cholesterol.

When selecting those items to include on your high cholesterol diet it is best to review the packaging information on products to determine the nutritional facts. The labeling indicates the saturated fat contact, as well as the trans fat information. Food labels reveal the number of calories ingested from saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats.

Those products that indicate a high content of these items should be avoided; in addition, avoid products reveal that they are hydrogenated. Hydrogenation is a process that makes fat solid or semisolid.

A high cholesterol diet should also be free of fast food items (hamburgers, french fries, and fried foods, etc.). These fast food items are unhealthy as they are high in fat and saturated fat.

Foods to Eat

On a high cholesterol diet, you can dine on many of the foods that you enjoy. It is simply a matter of being aware of how the food is prepared and, in some cases, limiting the intake of certain foods.

For example, when eating chicken remember to remove the skin, or when having beef take a few moments to trim off the excess fat. Other examples of meat that can be eaten on your high cholesterol diet include turkey, lamb, fish, and pork. Another key element to the success of your high cholesterol diet is the portion size of your entre and number of servings of meat per week. Portions should only be roughly the size of your palm.

Research has also shown that fiber in a high cholesterol diet is an important contribution in decreasing the cholesterol level. Fiber can be found in certain nuts, grain products, and vegetables.