Diet to lower cholesterol

When people refer to the cholesterol they are usually talking about LDL – low density lipoprotein, or the bad cholesterol. It is bad because high levels of it lead to atheroscleroris (thickening of arterial walls, which reduces the blood flow) which is one of the primary causes of cardiovascular disease. Therefore, it is important that LDL is kept under control.

Fortunately LDL can be lowered by 10-20% just by making some diet changes. National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP for short) sets guidelines for what is called TLC diet, TLC stands for Total Lifestyle Change. The key to this diet is to reduce or eliminate consumption of “bad” fats, saturated and trans-fats. This diet is quite simple to follow.

Red meat should be eaten as little as possible, no more than 35 ounces per week. Instead of red meat you should eat more fish. Vegetables and fruit should make up significant part of your diet. Use low fat dairy products.

When cooking, don’t use butter, margarine, lard or any other shortenings reach in saturated or trans-fats. Use liquid cooking oils instead, such as canola, olive, peanut, soybean or sunflower oils. Avoid mayonnaise, creams and other fatty seasonings, use herbs and spices instead.

Eat whole grain breads. Don’t eat too much sweets, try to avoid processed (factory made) sweets at all cost. Choose fruit or vegetables for your snack.

To get better effects, this diet should be combined with exercise. Diet change alone won’t do you much good if all you do is sit on the couch.