Having high cholesterol is not at all uncommon. According to the American Heart Association, 102.2 million adults in the United States have cholesterol levels above the recommended upper limit of 200 mg/dL. If left untreated, high cholesterol can cause cardiovascular disease, putting you at greater risk of a heart attack. Fortunately, there are ways you can take control of your cholesterol through lifestyle changes. Daily nutrition plays a huge impact on heart health, especially with a high fiber, low-fat diet.
Nutritional Risk Factors
Although family history can play a major role, several controllable risk factors contribute to hyperlipidemia, or high levels of blood lipids such as cholesterol. Being overweight or obese is one of the greatest contributors to high cholesterol. Reducing daily calories and exercising regularly to eliminate excess weight will dramatically improve cholesterol levels and help prevent heart disease. Glucose intolerance caused by diabetes or having high blood pressure put you at greater risk of high cholesterol. Cigarette smoking, physical inactivity, and excessive consumption of processed foods are all additional risk factors.
Understanding Dietary Fat
Decreasing your fat intake is commonly known to help with cholesterol levels. It is important, however, to understand the types of fats you eat to make good choices. Healthy fats, such as unsaturated fats found in nuts, fish and avocados, are beneficial and can increase your HDL cholesterol, also known as the "good" cholesterol. An excessive amount of saturated fat is one of the greatest contributors to high LDL cholesterol levels, the "bad" cholesterol. This is in mainly animal fats, baked goods and processed foods. Trans fat is an atomically altered fat that increases the shelf life of many processed foods. The recommended daily intake of trans fat is zero because of its detrimental effects on heart health.
Dietary Fiber
Increasing the amount of fiber in your diet can help reduce your cholesterol. According the American Dietetic Association, 25 to 30 grams of daily fiber dramatically improves cholesterol levels. Soluble fiber is found to especially lower cholesterol levels, and is found in fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Reading nutrition labels is a great way to keep track of the amount of fiber you consume in addition to the amount of dietary fat. Just make sure that if you do increase your fiber intake, you increase your fluid intake to prevent constipation and maintain hydration.
Cooking for High Cholesterol
The way you cook at home can play a huge role in your cholesterol levels. Baking or broiling are lower-fat alternatives to frying. Avoid products that contain trans fat, or hydrogenated oils. Do cook with canola or olive oils, which contain beneficial fats that will raise your "good" HDL cholesterol. Switch to low-fat dairy products such as 1 percent or skim milk, and choose whole grain breads, pasta and rice. Pick recipes that use more poultry and fish to lower your saturated fat intake. If red meat is on the menu, shop for the leanest cuts and drain the fat after cooking. Train yourself and other shoppers in the family to read labels before purchasing groceries, and to keep an eye out for low-fat and high-fiber products.
Other Considerations
To lower your cholesterol, it is important to shop and cook conscientiously, increase your fiber intake and lower your fat intake. Busy schedules and time constraints, however, may make these goals difficult. If you go out to eat, choose an entree that has less meat, is not fried, and does not use a lot of heavy creams or gravies. Incorporate at least one vegetable and one fruit into all meals. Do not exceed more than two alcoholic beverages a day if you are male, or more than one if you are female, as excessive alcohol can lead to heart disease. Try to squeeze in 30 minutes of physical activity daily, whether all at once or in increments.
