Finding the perfect low cholestrol diet might be difficult for some people
There are a few popular ones that are easy to follow. Depending on the severity of your case, your doctor might prescribe a specific diet plan for you.
The Mediterranean diet got its name based on the location it comes from. The surrounding countries of the Mediterranean Sea all had some common patterns to their diet. People that live in these countries tend to have low cholestrol and blood pressure. The Mediterranean diet has a very high percentage of fat. Most of the percentage comes from their main source of fat which is olive oil. Olive oil is a monosaturated fat which doesn’t raise cholestrol. This diet consists of eating lots of fruits and vegetables, nuts, bean, pastas, cereal, and potatoes, red meat and dairy products are kept to a min amount. My favorite aspect of the Mediterranean diet is drinking, 1-2 glasses of red wine a day.
The TLC-Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes Diet is another popular one, which is backed by the American Heart Association. On the diet the sodium and cholestrol intake is the same for everyone, regardless of weight. Your sodium intake should be no more then 2400mg a day and your cholestrol should be no more then 200mg per day. Other key points on this diet are increasing your soluble fiber intake, and adding foods that help in lowering your cholestrol.
On the internet you can find a plethora of diet plans. Some sites like e-diets, will do a whole profile for you and give you a plan that suit your personal needs. I-village is another good website that has different diet plans, fitness ideas and recipes.
The American Heart Association has a new book called American Heart Association No-Fad Diet: A Personal Plan for Healthy Weight Loss. The idea behind this book is planning out a diet that suits you, without any crazy alternative. By using three key points they call “think smart”, “eat well” and “move more” you can make a no-nonsense approach to weight loss.
If following a structured diet is something you have a hard time doing there are other options. Certain foods will aide you on your quest to lower your cholestrol. You’ll want to stay away from any products that have high saturated fat, which means no more milkshakes or cheese doodles. If you love a big fat juicy steak and can’t say no, limit yourself to red meat only a few times a month.
Stop using butter for everything and switch to a light olive oil. For snack, have some carrots or an apple with peanut butter. Try and eat only whole grain breads and pastas, which have more fiber in them.
Before starting any diet make plans to visit your doctor, who may have some information that will help you, get off to a good start.