If your GP has advised you to change your diet to reduce your blood cholesterol, you should cut down on saturated fat and eat more fibre, including plenty of fruit and vegetables. There are 2 main types of fat: saturated and unsaturated.
Eating too many foods high in saturated fat can raise the level of cholesterol in your blood. Eating foods that contain unsaturated fat instead of saturated fat can actually help reduce cholesterol levels.
Try to replace foods containing saturated fats with small amounts of foods high in unsaturated fats, such as:. Trans fats can also raise cholesterol levels. Trans fats can be found naturally in small amounts in some foods, such as animal products, including meat, milk and dairy foods. Artificial trans fats can be found in hydrogenated fat, so some processed foods, such as biscuits and cakes, can contain trans fats. In the UK, manufacturers and most of the supermarkets have reduced the amount of trans fats in their products.
Most people in the UK do not eat a lot of trans fats, but you should keep checking food labels for hydrogenated fats or oils. Choose lean cuts of meat and go for lower-fat varieties of dairy products and spreads, or eat a smaller amount of full-fat varieties.
Find out about the different types of fat. Eating plenty of fibre helps lower your risk of heart disease, and some high-fibre foods can help lower your cholesterol. Aim to eat at least 5 portions of different fruit and vegetables a day. Some foods naturally contain cholesterol, called dietary cholesterol. Foods such as kidneys, eggs and prawns are higher in dietary cholesterol than other foods. Dietary cholesterol has much less of an effect on the level of cholesterol in your blood than the amount of saturated fat you eat does.
If your GP has advised you to change your diet to reduce your blood cholesterol, the most important thing to do is to cut down on saturated fat. An active lifestyle can also help lower your cholesterol level. Activities can range from walking and cycling to more vigorous exercise, such as running and energetic dancing.
Moderate aerobic activity means you're working hard enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat. One way to tell whether you're exercising at a moderate intensity is if you can still talk but cannot sing the words to a song. Read more about getting more active and achieving your recommended activity levels. If your doctor has told you that you have high cholesterol and you can lower it by changing your diet, there's no need to buy special products to lower your cholesterol.
These products are not recommended by doctors and are no substitute for a healthy, balanced diet. Supplements offer the least appealing way to get soluble fiber. Two teaspoons a day of psyllium, which is found in Metamucil and other bulk-forming laxatives, provide about 4 grams of soluble fiber. When it comes to investing money, experts recommend creating a portfolio of diverse investments instead of putting all your eggs in one basket.
The same holds true for eating your way to lower cholesterol. Adding several foods to lower cholesterol in different ways should work better than focusing on one or two. A largely vegetarian "dietary portfolio of cholesterol-lowering foods" substantially lowers LDL, triglycerides, and blood pressure.
The key dietary components are plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains instead of highly refined ones, and protein mostly from plants. Add margarine enriched with plant sterols; oats, barley, psyllium, okra, and eggplant, all rich in soluble fiber; soy protein; and whole almonds. Of course, shifting to a cholesterol-lowering diet takes more attention than popping a daily statin.
It means expanding the variety of foods you usually put in your shopping cart and getting used to new textures and flavors. But it's a "natural" way to lower cholesterol, and it avoids the risk of muscle problems and other side effects that plague some people who take statins.
Just as important, a diet that is heavy on fruits, vegetables, beans, and nuts is good for the body in ways beyond lowering cholesterol. It keeps blood pressure in check. It helps arteries stay flexible and responsive. It's good for bones and digestive health, for vision and mental health. For more information, read "How to lower your cholesterol without drugs.
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