When you have high cholesterol or your doctor has warned you about your increasing cholesterol numbers, you can change your diet so that you can protect yourself against cholesterol-related heart disease and stroke. There are some foods to avoid at all costs, which will help your LDL numbers begin to drop.
Fried Meats
Fried meats are among the worst foods if you have high cholesterol. They're high in saturated fats, which raise cholesterol levels, and are often cooked in partially hydrogenated oil that's recycled time after time. For instance, a 3-oz. serving of fried beef liver has a whopping 410mg of cholesterol. The American Heart Association recommends that you don't eat more than 300mg of cholesterol per day.
Fast Food
Fast food is full of saturated fats, oil and salt. Some fast foods are worse than others. French fries that have been fried in oil are bad for those with high cholesterol, as are greasy burgers. If you must have fast food, look for grilled choices and eat them with a salad rather than french fries.
Eggs
Though eggs are generally a healthy food, the yolk can cause problems if you already have high cholesterol. Just one boiled egg with the yolk intact has 225mg of cholesterol. If you still want to start your day with the protein of egg, try eating just the whites. They're healthy and have much less cholesterol than the yolks.
Milk Products
Dairy and milk products can be secretly full of cholesterol. Any dairy product that has over 1 percent of fat is high in cholesterol. Switch to skim or soy milk, and watch out for sneaky cholesterol found in cheese, ice cream and other dairy products. Read the nutritional information on the label if you're unsure of how much fat is in the dairy product.
Lunch Meats
Before you add that bologna or corned beef to your sandwich, think about the cholesterol you're adding. Those with high cholesterol should avoid fatty lunch meats, according to the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center College of Medicine at Penn State. Lunch meats are highly processed, and can cause your arteries to become clogged with cholesterol. Use a roasted chicken for lunch meat instead, or go for low-fat alternatives for less cholesterol.
