A diet consisting of foods low in saturated fat reduces cholesterol and lowers your risk of heart disease. Saturated fat raises low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, cholesterol in the blood. LDL, known as the bad cholesterol, accumulates in the arteries and decreases blood flow to the heart. Avoid trans fats as well. Trans fats, found in some processed foods, raise LDL levels and also decrease helpful HDL cholesterol, which removes excess cholesterol from the bloodstream and brings it to the liver for disposal.
Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes
The Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes, also known as TLC, diet recommends the leanest meats, poultry and fish for your protein needs. Meat contains high amounts of saturated fat. Trim visible fat off meat when preparing. Eat skinless chicken or turkey to lower saturated fat intake. Ground turkey and chicken made from white meat make healthy substitutes for ground meat. Fish, such as cod, contain less saturated fat than meat and poultry. Having meatless meals once in a while with high-fiber dry peas and beans in place of meat helps lower blood cholesterol. Choose low-fat or nonfat dairy products over whole milk and whole-milk products. Eat egg whites or egg substitutes to avoid cholesterol. The TLC diet suggests three to five servings of fruits and vegetables a day and six to 11 servings a day of grains, such as bread, cereal, rice and pasta.
Heart-Healthy Diet
A heart-healthy diet also includes lean meat, poultry, low-fat dairy products, egg whites and egg substitutes to provide protein while avoiding high levels of fat. Adding more fruits and vegetables to your meals helps you to eat fewer fatty foods. Fruits and vegetables contain nutrients to help prevent heart disease. Whole grains have more fiber and nutrients than refined grains. Choose whole-grain or whole wheat bread, whole-wheat flour, high-fiber cereal, whole-grain pasta, brown rice, barley and oatmeal. Avoid white bread, refined flour, muffins, corn bread and biscuits. Limit or eliminate trans fats, made with hydrogenated oils to make foods last longer. Many commercially baked goods and fried foods in restaurants contain trans fats.
Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean Diet, often practiced in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, includes fruit, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices as the basis for every meal. The diet includes having fish at least twice a week. Meats and sweets are rarely eaten. Poultry and dairy foods are consumed in moderate portions. Olive oil, a primary source of fat, replaces butter and other additives when cooking foods. Spread a light layer of olive oil on bread or use it on a baked potato. Olive oil contains monounsaturated fat, which helps improve cholesterol.
