Changing your diet is a lifestyle change that will lead to lowering your cholesterol. There is no shortage of diets on the market today to help you do this.
You can lower your cholesterol by eating foods which include more plant-based foods. Foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes are good substitutes for high cholesterol foods. Choose foods like cereals, breads, rice, pasta, and other grains, as well as dry beans and peas. These are high in starch and fiber and low in saturated fat and calories. Some bakery breads and sweet bread products are made with high-fat, high-cholesterol milk, butter, and eggs. If you are closely monitoring your caloric intake, eat these types of foods sparingly. Six to eleven servings of foods from this group each day is recommended. People who have a low HDL (the "good" cholesterol), should keep their carbohydrate intake below the maximum of 60 percent of total calories. The liver will increase its production of cholesterol resulting in high cholesterol rather then decreasing the cholesterol levels in the blood if you consume too many carbohydrates in your diet.
If you follow a diet regimen that allows low animal product intake, your cholesterol levels should improve. Animal products that are high in cholesterol and are high in saturated fats are OK to eat but should be done in moderation. Saturated fats will actually raise your blood cholesterol level more than simply eating cholesterol itself. Processed meat like bologna and salami, duck, goose and other high-fat meats such as bacon and sausage have a lot of cholesterol in them. By cutting back on these types of animal products while maintaining proteins, you can lower your cholesterol level.
You can also decrease the amount of trans fat that you eat to lower your cholesterol. When talking about trans fat and saturated fats increasing your LDL ("bad" cholesterol), trans-fat is the lesser of the two evils. Trans fat will also decrease your HDL. Look at the ingredient list on the food label to see if the food product has trans fats. Shortening, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, or hydrogenated vegetable oil are all trans fats. If these words are on the food label, think twice befor purchasing. The ingredients are listed on the label in descending order of predominance. Close to the end of the list you will find the smaller amounts of trans fat. It is also listed on the label under "fat". The amount of trans fat that is contained in the product is often listed just after the saturated fat. If you are looking for foods to avoid start with salad dressings, vegetable shortening, sweets, baked goods, and fried foods. These and other processed foods all contain trans fat. Lowering your cholesterol means having to alter your eating habits, to accomplish this goal, these types of foods should not be consumed in large amounts.
Todd Peterson has helped many people to maintain healthy cholesterol levels through their diet. See if he can help you too. For more information on
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