High cholesterol can be quite an overwhelming issue to deal with if you are not prepared with the types of foods or diets one needs to consume in order to lower their overall cholesterol levels. So what exactly does a cholesterol lowering diet consist of?
This is what we will discuss in this section.
First, cholesterol is a fatty deposit which can block blood flow to the brain, heart and other parts of the body due to its waxy or plaque-like state. It builds up on blood vessel or artery walls and ultimately can narrow and block blood flow.
If you are experiencing high cholesterol or just want to prevent high cholesterol, here is a cholesterol lowering diet guide for your information.
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It is important to avoid saturated fats such as red meat and other fatty foods (pastries and more) in general as these are the fats that can build up on your artery walls which can cause heart conditions.
Cholesterol Lowering Diet Guide
Foods that are great replacements for red meats include fish, chicken, or turkey. In addition to the lower cholesterol levels, fish such as salmon are very high in omega-3 fats which are actually very proactive in lowering cholesterol.
In addition, partially hydrogenated oils, or transfats, are known to raise cholesterol levels in many individual and should be avoided during your cholesterol lowering diet. Oils such as olive oil and canola are some of the best oils to use for cooking in a cholesterol lowering diet as well as vegetable oil for its state as a polyunsaturated fat. Cholesterol lowering diet foods to stick with include low fat foods such as skim milk, fruits, vegetables, as well as foods that are high in simple carbohydrates.
Complex Carbohydrates
Carbs are indeed needed in one’s diet; however, it is the complex carbohydrates such as whole grain oats rather than bleached white bread that have all the health benefits. Some other foods that should be considered as part of your cholesterol lowering diet include garlic, grapes, turmeric, red yeast rice, beans, brown rice, broccoli, yams, cinnamon, peas, many different types of berries, carrots, walnuts, soybeans as well as vitamins and supplements such as niacin, artichoke leaf extract, coenzyme q10.
In addition to these cholesterol lowering diet foods, its important to monitor your daily activities such as the amount of regular exercise each day. Even if it is just a brisk walk each day, it is important to get into an exercise program and stick with it.
Cholesterol Lowering Diet Foods
Before starting any type of cholesterol lowering diet including the Mediterranean diet or other known diets, it is important to find out exactly what each type of cholesterol lowering diet entails and even speak to your medical professional in regards to your cholesterol lowering diet plans. Their advice can be very helpful in addition to the research you had already done.
Remember that most of the high cholesterol levels in the nation come from a few foods out there and those foods that can be dangerous to many individuals include cheeses, burgers, eggs (if too many are consumed each week) , pastries/desserts as well as fatty milk products. Try to limit these foods in a regular diet while consuming more fish, fruits and vegetables and help prevent problems due to high cholesterol through the new and well-regimented cholesterol lowering diet the best suits you.
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