Cholesterol, much like diabetes and blood pressure, though hereditary, is also very much related to your diet and lifestyle choices. Though detrimental to your long-term health (namely heart health), the good news, especially where the latter is concerned, is that we can also manage our cholesterol levels by making changes to our diet and opting for better/healthier lifestyle choices.
As per usual, let us start with the what… What is cholesterol?
What is cholesterol:
In short, cholesterol is a waxy substance that our bodies need to function. However, all the cholesterol we need is produced in the liver, and this is enough to support our bodies’ needs and requirements. Any cholesterol acquired from the food we eat is just excess, and therein lies the problem.
The biggest culprits, when it comes to cholesterol, are saturated and trans fats. These include the following – i.e. foods we need to limit.
Foods we need to limit:
- Processed meats; such as hotdogs and cold cuts – Though delicious, these really serve no nutritional value whatsoever. Therefore, and if at all possible, we recommend avoiding these altogether with a few exceptions here and there, such as having a hotdog at the cinema, or adding cold cuts to your cheese board if necessary.
- Fatty cuts of meat; though we all love a good ribeye, we also recommend only saving them for special occasions. Yes, this can be hard for some of you carnivores out there, but as best as you can, start working towards more lean meats as part of your everyday consumption, with fatty cuts being the occasional treat.
- Full-fat dairy; such as butter, sour cream, cream cheese… etc. Another tough one to limit, but similar to the ribeye, we recommend saving these treats for dinner parties and restaurants. Otherwise, we suggest that you avoid buying them altogether, especially if you are struggling with high cholesterol.
- Fried foods; same rule applies – save the fried chicken, French fries and all that crispy breaded stuff for when it’s really necessary.
- Coconut or palm oil; If you are partial to either of these oils, the good news is there are plenty of substitutes out there that you can use instead.
To summarise, all items on this list should serve as an occasional treat or exception, but they shouldn’t be the norm.
Now, enough of the things we can’t eat, and let’s talk about the things we CAN and should be eating to lower our cholesterol levels:
Foods you CAN eat
- High-fibre foods, such as oatmeal, kidney beans, Brussels sprouts, apples and pears.
- Fish and omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, tuna and mackerel.
- Almonds and other nuts.
- Avocadoes
- Olive oil
If you’ve recently been told that you have high cholesterol and are feeling overwhelmed in the kitchen, here are a few simple tips.
Cooking tips to get you started:
- Add more fish and chicken breast to your diet. If you have a craving for steak, go for a filet mignon, as opposed to a fattier cut.
- Substitute butter with olive oil.
- Bake or steam your food instead of frying.
- Check ingredients on long shelf-life items to ensure they do not contain palm or coconut oil.
- Also check ingredients to ensure that your items do not contain any processed ingredients.
- Add more vegetables to your diet.
- Make your own salad dressing.
Of course, these are all suggestions, as opposed to hard and fast rules. Lifestyle changes are never easy and take a while to adjust to. Start small and work your way up.
Leave us a comment below and make sure to check out yufeed for some healthy recipes to get you started!
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