Your diet plays a major role in your blood cholesterol levels. Other factors include your weight, physical activity, age, sex and heredity. The National Cholesterol Education Program suggests reducing your intake of saturated fats and cholesterol in the foods you eat to lower your cholesterol score. Over the course of a week, your diet will consist of less meat and more vegetables, whole grains and fibrous foods.
The Facts
About 75 percent of your blood cholesterol is made by your body while the remaining 25 percent comes from foods you eat, notes the American Heart Association. You can control the amount of saturated fats and cholesterol you consume by limiting your intake of animal products, such as full-fat milk and red meats. Losing weight can help improve your cholesterol levels. Even as little as 5 to 10 lbs. of weight loss can lead to improved cholesterol scores, and you can safely do this in three to five weeks.
Types
There's really only one type of cholesterol-lowering diet that has been proven by the AHA to help reduce cholesterol levels and that's a diet low in saturated and trans fats. The AHA also suggests limiting sodium intake to less than 1,500mg per day, cholesterol intake to less than 300mg per day and increasing your intake of fibrous vegetables, whole grains and fruits. The Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes, or TLC, diet also focuses on these basic principles. These general guidelines also make the vegetarian lifestyle a suitable option for lowering your cholesterol; just make sure to plan it out with your doctor.
Sample Menu
A sample menu based on the AHA's recommendations includes three meals a day plus a snack. Breakfast may include fresh orange juice, Wheaties in skim milk with raspberries and cinnamon raisin muffin with light cream cheese. Lunch includes a turkey and Swiss cheese sandwich on whole-wheat bread with cranberry sauce and romaine lettuce, minestrone soup and coleslaw. Two to three hours later, eat a piece of fruit and handful of nuts as a snack. Dinner might include grilled salmon, red potatoes, Italian bread dipped in olive oil, romaine lettuce salad with tomatoes and olive oil dressing and a light frozen yogurt topped with fresh fruit for dessert.
Calories
Portion control and monitoring your daily caloric intake a week at a time is also important to help reduce your cholesterol levels. The AHA notes that even modest weight loss -- 10 percent of your current body weight -- can lead to drastic improvements in your overall health, including reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke caused by increased cholesterol. Adult women need at least 1,000 calories a day and men 1,200 calories each day to lose weight while getting enough calories to stay healthy, notes the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. That's the equivalent of taking in 7,000 and 8,400 calories per week, respectively.
Effects
Limiting your intake of saturated and trans fats while consuming plenty of vegetables, fruits and whole grains can help to lower your low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, cholesterol -- also referred to as "bad" cholesterol. Exercising for at least 30 minutes per day can help increase your levels of high-density lipoprotein, or HDL, cholesterol -- also known as "good" cholesterol. HDL cholesterol can help to reverse the effects of plaque buildup along your artery walls. According to FamilyDoctor.org, an LDL score of 129mg/dL or less, and a HDL level of 40mg/dL or above, are ideal for lowering your risk for heart disease.
