The Fat-Away Plan: The 10 Best Tips For A Low-Cholesterol Diet

“You need to be on a low-cholesterol diet from now on.” If the doctor says these words, realize that some things have to change, from now on. Fortunately, it is low in cholesterol nourishment and not as fun-free as it sounds at first. Sure, you have to change a few things, but it practically works by itself once you have adjusted your lifestyle.

Why A Low-Cholesterol Diet At All?

A low cholesterol nourishment must be when the cholesterol levels are too high. Too high a cholesterol level is a major risk factor for vascular diseases, leading to hardening of the arteries and thus to a heart attack or stroke. And nobody wants that.

 The extent to which a low-cholesterol diet influences the cholesterol level has not been conclusively clarified. There are conflicting studies.

What is certain, however, is that a high-fat diet increases cholesterol levels. According to the recommendations of the Nutrition Society, the cholesterol of a healthy adult should be below 200 milligrams per deciliter. The good HDL should be over 50 milligrams per deciliter for women and 40 milligrams for men. The bad LDL is below 150 milligrams per deciliter.

Basic Rules For A Low-Cholesterol Diet

A low-cholesterol diet is synonymous with a low-fat diet with few animal foods because cholesterol is only hidden in animal products. You don’t have to do without fat entirely. It depends on the fatty acids.

• You should rather avoid saturated fatty acids, such as those found in meat and the like.
• Polyunsaturated fatty acids from vegetable oils, on the other hand, are good for you. In some cases, they are even said to have a positive, lowering effect on the cholesterol level. Therefore, at least half of the total fat content should consist of unsaturated fatty acids.

The Best Tips For A Low-Cholesterol Diet:

For A Low-Cholesterol Diet: Eat Lots Of Vegetables

Vegetables can be enjoyed in large quantities without restriction if you have to eat a low-cholesterol diet. Vegetables are free from fat and, therefore, from cholesterol. In addition, it has very few calories but is still filling. The Nutrition Society recommends eating three servings of vegetables a day. You should stick to this recommendation and include little vegetables in every meal.

Be careful: olives, avocados, and soybeans contain fat. It would be best if you enjoyed them with caution.

For A Low-Cholesterol Diet: Eat Fruit Every Day

You can also use fruit with vegetables if you are on a low-cholesterol diet because fruit is free from fat and cholesterol. Instead, it contains a lot of vitamins and minerals. According to the recommendation of the German Nutrition Society, you should eat two servings of fruit a day.

For A Low-Cholesterol Diet: Prefer Whole Grain Foods

Potatoes and cereals are plant-based foods and therefore do not contain any cholesterol. Generally, they have a low-fat content. It prefers the whole grain version of bread, pasta, and Co., which has higher fiber content and makes you full longer.

For A Low-Cholesterol Diet: Choose Low-Fat Meats

After being diagnosed with high cholesterol, many wonder whether they should now become vegetarians. Of course not! Meat is high in cholesterol, but there are differences. Avoid fatty meats like sausages, bacon, or belly meat. Offal, liver sausage, salami, or mortadella are also not recommended.

I prefer to use lean sausages with less than 20 percent fat. This includes:

• lean ham
• Beer ham
• Kassel cold cuts
• Turkey breast
• lean cold roast
• roast beef

Prefers poultry over pork and beef. Chicken and turkey are high in monounsaturated fatty acids. I refrained from eating goose and duck because they are very high in fat. In general, do not eat more than two to a maximum of three servings of meat per week.

For A Low-Cholesterol Diet: Eat Fish More Often

Fish is a great alternative to meat. But even here, you should be careful because not all types of fish are low in fat. Recommended are:

• Trout
• hake
• cod
• Redfish
• Haddock
• coalfish
• Char
• Salmon
• sole
• Pikeperch
• white halibut

Rarely should you reach for crustaceans and shellfish such as crabs or lobsters? They have higher levels of cholesterol. When it comes to fish, you should avoid the fatter varieties such as eel, carp, or mackerel as much as possible. Pickled fish products such as sardines are also not for you.

The General Rule Is: Eat fish once or twice a week and make sure that it is prepared with low-fat content. Cooking and steaming is ideal.

For A Low-Cholesterol Diet: Prefer Vegetable Fats

The same applies to fats: It depends on the right thing! There are big differences in the composition of the fatty acids. Animal fat such as butter and lard is very high in saturated fat and cholesterol and is therefore not good for people on a low-cholesterol diet.

Vegetable fats such as olive, corn germ or sunflower, safflower, and rapeseed oil, on the other hand, contain monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which can have a positive influence on the cholesterol level.

Nevertheless, this is not a free ticket for excessive fat consumption. When cooking, make sure to use fat sparingly. Use coated pans and measure the oil with a tablespoon. Also prefers low-fat cooking methods such as boiling, stewing, or steaming.

For A Low-Cholesterol Diet: Eat Eggs As Infrequently As Possible

For most people, eggs are the ultimate cholesterol-containing food. Rightly so, because eggs hide almost 300 milligrams of cholesterol, the maximum amount that we should be able to ingest during the day. However, only in the egg yolk can you beat the egg white.

If you have high cholesterol, you shouldn’t eat more than two to three eggs a week. Also, consider eggs in casseroles, cakes, and the like that you cannot see directly with the naked eye.

For A Low-Cholesterol Diet: Prefer Low-Fat Dairy Products

High-fat dairy products are also little cholesterol bombs. Therefore avoid whole milk, whole milk products, cream, sour cream, and crème fraiche. But since cheese and Co. are good sources of protein and calcium, you should not do without them. Preferred low-fat variants:

• low-fat milk and milk products with a fat content of 1.5 percent and less
• Buttermilk
• low-fat quark
• cottage cheese
• Layer cheese
• Sour milk cheese (Hazer)

for A Low-Cholesterol Diet: Cut Down On Sweets And Cakes

Cakes, chocolate, candy bars: in addition to sugar, many sweets also contain plenty of fat and are generally calorie bombs. Don’t forbid anything, but rarely eat anything and then only eat small portions.

These sweets & pastries are low in fat:

• gummy bear
• Pretzel Sticks
• Quark dishes
• Pastries made from yeast or quark oil dough

For A Low-Cholesterol Diet: Cook Fresh As Often As Possible

Fast food is often high in calories and fat. Much better for a low-cholesterol diet: Cook yourself. So you decide how much and which fat you use. And: homemade also tastes better.

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