Lower Cholesterol - Using Diet To Lower High Cholesterol

Lower Cholesterol - Using Diet To Lower High Cholesterol

If you want to lower high cholesterol levels, the first thing you should change is probably your diet. Diet is more likely to contribute to high cholesterol levels than any other factor. This increases your risk of developing heart diseases that can lead to hypertension and heart attack. So if you want to live a healthy life, where do you startall

Cross out these fats from your diet: LDL or low-density lipoprotein, triglycerides, hydrogenated fats and most saturated fats. These fats can usually be found in the most popular meal of all: a large order of hamburger with cheese, French fries and milk shake. While very filling and satisfactory, these foods contain as much fat as 1/8 lb. of butter. Imagine chomping on THAT the next time you order a burger meal.

If you want a diet to help you lower high cholesterol by avoiding fats, try to keep your saturated fat intake to 10% of your total caloric intake. That is the ideal figure to maintain during the first stages of your goal to lower high cholesterol. Later on, you can go even further and keep your bad fat intake to just 7%.

Regular inclusion of fiber-rich foods in your diet can significantly lower high cholesterol levels. Soluble fiber found in natural, unprocessed grains, oats and fruits are great choices for meals and snacks. Soluble fiber is particularly effective in helping lower your blood cholesterol and reducing your body's rate of sugar absorption.

For men 50 years old and younger, the ideal daily amount of fiber intake is about 38 grams. This decreases to 31 grams for men 51 years and older. For women, it's 25 grams for those aged 50 and below and 21 grams for older women.

You don't have to follow an ultra-strict diet regimen that will make your life joyless and monotonous. All you have to do is to combine a reasonably active lifestyle with a good diet, something you will have to commit to for the rest of your life.

The main challenge you will have with foods that contribute to high cholesterol is that they are so easily accessed and consumed. That makes it more important for you to monitor your diet and ensure that it is ideal for lowering high cholesterol levels. Be informed and live a healthy life.