Your diet, fitness level, weight, age, certain diseases and heredity all play a role in the development of high cholesterol, explains the University of Maryland Medical Center. While you can't alter how old you are or your genetic makeup, you can change the way you eat to help lower cholesterol. While eating for heart health may bring to mind boring meals of bland ingredients, you don't have to sacrifice flavor to lower your cholesterol levels.
Good and Bad Cholesterol
Cholesterol, the waxy substance found throughout your body, plays an important role in hormone and vitamin D production. Cholesterol may have a bad reputation, but not all cholesterol is the same. Low-density lipoproteins, or LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, move through your blood and can form deposits on the walls of your arteries. High-density lipoproteins, also called HDL, or "good" cholesterol, scavenge for LDL in the blood and transport it to the liver to be broken down and eliminated from the body. While high overall cholesterol is detrimental to your health, raising your HDL level promotes heart health.
Risks of High Cholesterol
When you have high levels of cholesterol or an unhealthy ratio of HDL to LDL in your body, you put yourself at risk of developing atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, resulting in tissue damage, heart attack or stroke. Get your cholesterol levels checked regularly by your doctor, as having high cholesterol rarely exhibits symptoms.
Stocking Your Kitchen
Eliminating saturated and trans fats from your diet is one of the easiest ways to lower your cholesterol. By identifying sources of these unhealthy fats in your diet, you can make healthful substitutions. For example, if you love red meat and regularly dine on hamburgers or steaks, avoid prime cuts and purchase choice or select cuts of round, chuck or sirloin steaks instead. Buy extra-lean ground beef for burgers, or give ground turkey a try. Swap full-fat dairy products for skim or low-fat varieties, choose skinless poultry and ditch the butter for olive oil. Stock up on herbs and spices to add flavor to your foods without adding salt or fat.
Heart-Healthy Cooking Methods
Before you cook meats, remove any visible fat. Choose recipes calling for baking, broiling or grilling instead of deep- or pan-frying. Steam vegetables to eliminate the need for oils. Cook soups and sauces a day or more ahead of time, refrigerate and skim any hardened fat from the top before serving. If you bake often, the American Heart Association suggests using applesauce or pureed bananas in place of oil or butter in breads and cookies.
Eating Out with High Cholesterol
When you prepare your meals at home, you have complete control over the ingredients and methods. Eating out can prove a greater challenge when trying to manage high cholesterol. Many menus are packed with fried or stuffed foods loaded with saturated fats, and excess sodium hides out in sauces, seasonings and condiments. Check the restaurant website before heading out to eat for ideas on heart-healthy options. Some establishments offer a special menu listing fat content and nutrients of their dishes. The American Heart Association suggests asking for sauces and dressings on the side and requesting to have your food prepared with olive oil and fat-free dairy products, if possible.
