Cholesterol is an important substance in the body that is part of the diet and produced by the body. Cholesterol is a waxy substance in fats that can clog your blood vessels but is needed to produce healthy cells. There is good, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and bad, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Both are in animal products ingested in a diet. It is important to watch fat levels to keep cholesterol levels within healthy ranges.
Good Cholesterol
HDL is good cholesterol because it moves bad cholesterol from the arteries back to the liver. It has been shown to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke and hypertension. HDL should be kept above 40 mg/dL for men, and 50 mg/dL for women. HDL levels are raised by increasing physical activity to at least 30 minutes most days. Only increasing exercise and eating less foods high in saturated fat will improve your HDL levels, but there is nothing in your diet to add HDL cholesterol to your bloodstream.
Bad cholesterol
LDL cholesterol is in saturated and trans fats. Saturated fats are high-fat meats, fried foods and butter. Trans fats are margarine, tropical oils and some processed foods. Triglycerides are fats in the blood, and also contribute to high cholesterol levels. Triglycerides are due to over consumption of refined carbohydrates and sugars, excessive alcohol intake, smoking cigarettes, being obese and not exercising.
What to Eat?
Consuming omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, tuna, mercury, olive oil and nuts help lubricate the arteries, to decrease the amount of cholesterol that embeds in the arterial walls. Plant sterols and stanols, such as light margarines, yogurts, milk and nutritional products, block the absorption of cholesterol because they fight for the same receptors in the arteries. Soluble fiber grains, cereals, pastas, fruits and vegetables help reduce LDL levels. Also, substituting soy proteins instead of saturated fats decrease cholesterol levels in the blood.
Your Best Defense
Your diet alone cannot change your cholesterol levels but is a major factor. Eating right and exercising must be combined to lower the LDL levels and increase the HDL levels. For each meal should half of your plate should be filled with vegetables, one-quarter of the plate should have protein and the last quarter of the plate should have whole-grain carbohydrates. You should eat 14 g of fiber for each 1,000 calories consumed. Fluid consumption is also important, so aim to drink about half your body in ounces a day. Finally, eating five to six small meals a day can decrease your total intake, lowering your overall cholesterol levels.
