According to the American Heart Association, an estimated 98.6 million Americans over the age of 20 have cholesterol levels higher than 200 mg/dL. With so much attention on heart disease, keeping your cholesterol levels below 200 mg/dL is one of the easiest ways to reduce your risk for a heart attack. Besides the Internet, there are many different places to find good information about foods that are low in cholesterol. Most of them are free.
Step 1
Look for pamphlets at your doctor's office the next time you're scheduled for a visit. Nearly all drug companies that produce cholesterol lowering drugs produce free pamphlets with valuable information about what foods are low in cholesterol. Look for them in the patient waiting rooms.
Step 2
Access the Internet and use the search engine of your choice to find low cholesterol menu choices. Use keywords such as "low cholesterol foods," "low cholesterol menu plans" or longer phrases such as "how to lower your cholesterol." Visit the major websites that deal with cardiovascular disease, such as the American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association or the American Dietetic Association. They all have fitness and diet sections loaded with low cholesterol alternatives.
Step 3
Collect the free handouts in the produce section of your local supermarket. Since most produce is naturally low in cholesterol, many major produce distributors offer material with menus and nutrition information to get consumers to buy more of their produce. File the handouts at home and try some of the recipes when you get bored in the kitchen.
Step 4
Register for a heart healthy cooking class offered by your local community college. Many colleges feature classes in low fat, low cholesterol cooking as well as creative ways to spice up your current menus. Sign up for classes that feature Mediterranean or Asian recipes. Both cultures have low incidences of heart disease due to the ingredients they use and their methods of food preparation.
Step 5
Peruse the wide variety of cooking classes featured on cable television. Most programs understand the importance of cooking using low fat, low cholesterol ingredients and will feature them on their programs. Many of them will also feature additional pamphlets, books, DVDs and other helpful resources for spicing up your meals without raising your cholesterol.
Tips and Warnings
- Begin slowly and replace one or two items at a time. Experiment with new herbs and spices.
- Become an informed consumer by reading labels and understanding contents.
Things You'll Need
- Pamphlets from your doctor's office
- Access to the Internet
- Nutritional handouts in the produce section of your supermarket
- Community classes
- Television programs
