A high-cholesterol diet can increase your risk of developing heart disease. Cholesterol can accumulate in the walls of your arteries, making them stiff and narrow. This process, known as atherosclerosis, can lead to high blood pressure and decreased blood flow to the heart and the brain. Although not all cases of high cholesterol are due to diet, the foods you eat play a significant role in the amount of cholesterol in your blood.
Step 1
Replace high-cholesterol foods with more heart-healthy options. Whole-fat dairy products are high in cholesterol and saturated fat, says eMedTV, so cook with low-fat or nonfat dairy products. Similarly, substituting egg whites for whole eggs and margarine or vegetable oil for butter can also reduce the amount of cholesterol in your diet. Organ meats, such as kidney and brains, are also high in cholesterol.
Step 2
Cook with leaner cuts of meat. Beef cuts marked loin, round, sirloin and chuck are lower in cholesterol. Low cuts of pork include loin chop and tenderloin. Whenever possible, purchase cuts of meat marked "select" or "choice" rather than prime, the American Heart Association recommends, because such cuts are typically lower in cholesterol. You can also trim visible fat from your meat to lower the cholesterol content.
Step 3
Prepare meat in ways that lower cholesterol. For example, broiling meat, rather than pan-frying it, will lower its cholesterol content. If baking, roasting or broiling, put the meat on a rack, which will allow some of the excess fat to drain off the meat.
Step 4
Eat high-fiber foods and foods fortified with plant sterols and stanols. Fiber impairs your digestive tract's ability to absorb cholesterol, which essentially lowers the cholesterol content of your food. Good sources of fiber include fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and foods made with bran. Plant sterols and stanols can also decrease cholesterol absorption because these chemicals are similar in structure to cholesterol and block the cholesterol-transporting proteins in your intestines. Plant sterols and stanols can be found in some forms of margarine, yogurt drinks and orange juice, the Mayo Clinic says.
