Lower Cholesterol

SELECTING CHLESTEROL-FREE FOODS

2007-03-12T02:49:00.000-07:00

Almost everybody knows the effects of bad cholesterol in the body. By bad cholesterol, it literally has to do with low-density lipoprotein's molecular transport deposits that thicken in the walls of the arteries hindering the flawless passage of blood affecting the atherogenic status of the arterial walls. While few people do not fully appreciate the importance of cholesterol in the body, this non-soluble waxy substance is essential to aid in building membranes, manufacture of bile, cell walls, nerve sheaths, and produce hormones.

However, exposing the body to high cholesterol supply result to hypertensions and other cardiovascular disorders or lead to atherosclerosis, a disposition of fatty substances, and fibrosis of the inner arteries.

Certain ways to check and reduce high levels of cholesterol are *practicing good eating habits accompanied by regular exercise. *Indulging in a wrong kind of lifestyle or over indulgence enhances the rise in cholesterol levels.

Good Eating Habits include:

1. Pre-arranging a total cholesterol-free daily diet by creating a whole week menu with vegetable-packed recipes, accompanied by good supply of fiber-filled fruits. If you could possibly buy or produce organically produced food types from such sources as organic gardens, so much the better. Chemicals enhance the increase in cholesterol level. Carbohydrates should be of high complex standards.

Some supermarkets abound in the availability of fresh organic vegetables like lettuce. The high fiber-content of vegetables that you eat will reduce the LDL cholesterol, because these foods are very low-cholesterol-content, or non-containing at all. There are of course foods that enhance low-density lipoprotein to develop to be a total risk, and settle in the arteries during the process of the lipoprotein molecules travel to the blood stream.

2. If egg is included in your meals, eat more egg white, never the egg yolk if you're already an LDC possibility-individual. Concentrate on baked foods that are made from whole wheat, and noodles made from cereals. Use unrefined sugar in your light beverages. Fully refined food preparations are processed thru certain chemicals for fine or whitening effects for marketing ends, but are in fact health hazards.

3. Water is the universal solvent. There is no harm in drinking more water, following the daily water requirements standard to aid in the total digestion process to balance body equilibrium in cleaning the body to improve blood circulation.

4. Eat more root crops than artificially made or baked foods that are prepared with certain additives, coloring, and extenders for commercial purposes.

5. Drink fresh fruit juices, instead of manufactured soft drinks with high sugar content and artificial colorings and additives. Practically, anyone who drinks chocolate beverage, or any chemical drinks and caffeine-filled, like strong coffee risks himself or herself to certain cholesterol levels.

Always remember that trans fats and hydrogenated fats or oils used in the baking or in food processing are even more destructive the saturated fats of some oil origin. Use in preparing your food selected palm oils, especially "olive oil." It may be costly, but it is the safest oil to use in the kitchen for overall safety of all family members against the ill effect of too much cholesterol.

The best habit to consider is a regular check up of your cholesterol count, so as to safeguard against instant increase that might lead to unaware possible consequence of a fatal hypertension, or stroke due to unprecedented cholesterol rise.

Learning the proper diet to lower cholesterol

2007-03-12T02:46:00.000-07:00

Cholesterol is one of the major substances that cause heart attacks, high blood cholesterol levels, and weight problems. Despite its “bad guy image,” this waxy, fat-like substances made in the body by the person’s own liver serves a number of vital functions unknown to many.

Basically, there are two types of cholesterol: the Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) and the High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL). The former refers to the bad type of cholesterol that is known to clog the person’s blood vessels, thus, increasing the risk for a heart attack or a heart disease. Studies show that a diet that is high in saturated fat is a main dietary cause of a raised LDL cholesterol level. The latter, on the other hand, is the good type of cholesterol that helps clear LDL cholesterol out of the blood stream, thus, reducing the risk for any heart illness. Researches have shown that a diet rich in fruit and vegetables along with average levels of omega-3 from fish oil greatly helps raise HDL cholesterol levels.

Although diet is the major reason for having high cholesterol levels, experts agree that factors such as genetics, lack of exercise or regular physical activity, obesity, unhealthy lifestyle such as excessive drinking and smoking, hormones, and varying high and low cholesterol levels can trigger the sudden increase of cholesterol levels in the body.

GETTING STARTED

Indeed, cholesterol is a growing problem in the health of many people in the world. Experts say that people over 20 years of age should be more concerned about their cholesterol levels; thus, they should start doing everything they can to lower LDL cholesterol. Although it is quite hard to stick to the needed requirements and regiments to combat the growing problem, experts say that it can be controlled with the proper diet to lower cholesterol.

Studies show that a good diet to lower cholesterol can reduce a person’s risk for heart diseases while getting rid of bad fats because this diet to emphasizes on eating heart-healthy foods. But, aside from using the proper and proven low cholesterol diets available today, the most important thing is that knowing and taking in the right foods and effective cholesterol formulas to assist in lowering cholesterol levels.

Experts say that a diet to lower cholesterol includes good foods like grains—especially whole grain products and cereals—fish rich in omega3 such as salmon and tune, a variety of fruits and leafy vegetables, nuts, juices, and the like. Here are other effective means of lowering cholesterol level through diet:

1. Make sure that you visit your attending physician first before trying out any low cholesterol diets so he/she could administer the proper examinations and access your general health status.

2. You can lower your cholesterol levels by replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat in meat, chicken, and whole milk products.

3. Refrain from eating refined carbohydrates contained by bakery products, pastas, and sugary or sugar-added foods.

4. When eating out, makes sure that you ask the waiter to make serving substitutions like steamed or boiled food preparations. If possible, also pick lean meat, fish, or skinless chicken that is broiled, baked, grilled, steamed, or poached instead of being fried and ask for lots of vegetable side dishes and fresh fruit desserts.

5. Cutting down on eggs, margarine, or butter out of your daily diet.

6. Use natural-based oils such as vegetable, corn, and olive oils when cooking instead of the usual cooking oil.

7. Load up on a lot of garlic when you’re preparing dishes because it contains substances that help lower HDL cholesterol.

8. Take in high quality daily vitamin mineral supplements like Vitamin E to improve blood circulation, and Vitamin C and vitamin B3 to lower your high cholesterol levels.

Best Food That is Part of the Diet to Lower Cholesterol

2007-03-12T02:23:00.000-07:00

People have to eat in order to have energy to do certain things. Some are able to make three or four trips to the buffet table while others are satisfied after one round. In any case, the type of food brought to the plate could be healthy or harmful and the choice is really up to the person.

Those who love to eat red meat and other dishes that are fatty or oil are at risk of getting sick. This isn’t diarrhea but something worse which could be life threatening because of the amount of bad cholesterol that is being taken into the body.

The high levels of cholesterol in the body are happening more often now than ever before. This is because of the variety of food offered now in the grocery and in restaurants. The person can still recover from this by eating foods that are not high in saturated fats.

Is there one food product that can be called the best to lower cholesterol? The answer is no because a well balanced diet must come from all the food groups.

Instead of drinking full cream milk or mixing this with cornflakes or whole grain, it is best to use non fat milk instead. The taste is almost the same is much healthier than the regular brand bought in the supermarket.

Instead of having steak when having a cookout or picnic, this should be changed with lean meats instead. These things don’t have that much fat in the center or in the edges and taste just as good as the big slab served with mash potatoes.

The healthiest thing to have either for lunch and dinner is food that comes from the ocean. This can be fish or shellfish that is known to carry Omega 3, which is very effective in lowering the levels of cholesterol in people.

Eating a candy bar or a slice of cake doesn’t see so bad but these things are rich in fat. Those who need to fill the stomach with something should try nuts or fruits instead. These products are rich in fiber as well as have vitamins and minerals that are healthier to consume.

In each meal, the person must not forget to add some fruits in the plate. A salad works best or having a few carrots or potatoes as a side dish. There must always be a balance whenever the individual decides to have meat or fish.

Chicken is not good if this is fried. Those who want to eat it for a change can still do as long as the skin has been removed. This can also be steamed which is a healthier way of cooking it before this is served in a plate.

There are many ways to cook the food mentioned. The individual can get a cookbook or download some recipes from the Internet to be able to come up with something delicious and at the same time lower one’s cholesterol levels.

If following the instructions are hard, there are always shows on television that teach homemakers and other people the basics into cooking something fat free which is good for the diet.

It is never too late to make some lifestyle and changes in order to live a longer and healthier life.