A diet to reduce cholesterol should consist of the following:-
- Foods high in complex carbohydrates
- Less high fat food
- Less high cholesterol food
- Replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fat
Diet is essential and plays an important role in reducing cholesterol. One way you can do this is to eat total less fat food as this cuts out the saturated fat as well. This will ensure that you cut down on calories. Eating food higher in complex carbohydrates helps too. Butter, cheese, whole milk, cream all contain a great deal of saturated fat and should be avoided. Shellfish, fish and poultry, fat surrounding the meat all contain saturated fat.
Eating less cholesterol food is recommended too. Cholesterol is found in egg yolks, organ meats, (kidney, brain, liver, sweetbread), and dairy products. Limit or eliminate these from your diet.
Increase your intake of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, cereals, and vegetable oils as these have no cholesterol. Stay away from complex carbohydrates like breads, pasta, dried peas, beans, rice and cereals.
There are several natural ways to lower cholesterol too.
Try drinking two glasses of orange juice a day. Cranberry, grapefruit and grape juice are good too. Avoid drinking coffee and switch to black tea instead.
Oatmeal is a soluble fiber that lowers cholesterol. Use whole grain products as these help to reduce the low density lipoproteins (LDL) in the body. Opt for whole grain bread when making a sandwich. Studies have shown that people who eat several small meals through out the day have lower cholesterol levels than those who ate three main meals a day. Olive oil is another good way of lowering cholesterol levels. Drizzle it over salads or simply use it to cook food in. Reduce or eliminate sugar. Cold water fish, seeds, nuts, organic eggs, free range poultry are all products which lower the levels of cholesterol. Cod liver oil, milk thistle, probiotics all work as natural supplements to reduce cholesterol.
High cholesterol Diet involve decreasing the intake of cholesterol and saturated fats in one’s diet. Some popular diets that you can follow are: the Mediterranean diet, the Mayo Clinic diet, a Vegetarian diet or a low fat diet. There are several foods (as given above) that will help you to lower cholesterol levels.
Vitamin B3(niacin), soluble fiber, plant sterols and stanols , Artichoke leaf, fish oil supplements, garlic, flax seed, Vitamin E, and Turmeric extract are some supplements that reduce cholesterol. Follow a high cholesterol diet plan and reduce the blood cholesterol level by the second or third week of consumption.
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