A low calorie and low cholesterol diet is about two separate types of dietary restrictions. Restricting calories and cholesterol might help you lose weight and lower you blood cholesterol levels. Reducing calories would be more effective for losing weight, and reducing cholesterol intake might improve heart health. Improving heart health is complicated and reducing cholesterol alone may not help you obtain your desired results.
About Calories
Calories come from carbohydrates, protein, fat and alcohol, with alcohol being the only non-essential nutrient. Calories are necessary to promote life. As a general guide, half of our daily calories should come from carbohydrates. Your remaining calories would then come from an even split of protein and fat. Carbohydrates and protein have 4 calories per gram, and fat has 9 calories per gram. A 1200 calorie diet would have 600 calories from carbohydrate, 300 calories from protein, and 300 calories from fat.
About Cholesterol
Cholesterol is found in foods of animal origin. There are many different kinds of cholesterol. The smaller the cholesterol particle, the greater the risk of plaque build up in blood vessels. The types of cholesterol talked about most are HDL and LDL. Think of the HDL as being happy, healthy, hyper, and huge, and the LDL as being the lazy, looser, little cholesterol particle. LDL is also very sticky. The smaller and the stickier the cholesterol particle, the greater the chance of cholesterol build-up inside your blood vessels.
Low Calorie
A low calorie diet contains between 1000 and 1500 calories. The wide range in calories is due to the desired results individuals seek when they begin to restrict calorie intake for health reasons. It is also a compromise among different health organizations in an attempt to put a definition on "low."
Low Cholesterol
A low cholesterol diet contains less than 300 milligrams of cholesterol per day. One ounce of cooked animal protein contains an average of 25 to 30 mg of cholesterol with some fluctuation. The term "animal" is being used very loosely to mean anything not of plant origin including fish, foul, beef, pork, dairy and others, plus all foods derived from these. A low cholesterol diet contains 10 ounces or less of cooked animal protein per day. You also need to consider the amount of cholesterol in milk and other products originating from animal sources like butter and cream.
Warning
Following a low calorie and low cholesterol diet can be a good way to begin moving toward a goal of improving health. Making these changes without expert advise might lead to results you are not expecting like hair loss, brittle bones, hormone irregularities, and more.
Considerations
All foods that contain cholesterol are not bad for you. There are many higher cholesterol foods with health benefits such as fish, which is also high in omega-3 fatty acids. Making assumptions about foods can lead to a boring diet and failure to meet your goals. A registered dietitian or certified nutrition consultant are your best sources for guidance in dietary matters.
