High Cholesterol Foods: What To Avoid And What To Limit
High Cholesterol Foods What To Avoid And What To Limit : We have to emphasize that
High Cholesterol Medication is never a bad
thing to include in one's diet for many reasons. For one thing, the
human body synthesizes cholesterol on its own primarily from the liver,
which accounts for the lack of recommended daily allowance for this
sterol. For another thing, even high cholesterol foods serve many
functions in the maintenance of good health although emphasis must be
made on limitation or moderation of their consumption. Keep in mind that
cholesterol is essential in the maintenance of cell membrane integrity,
in the synthesis of the liver's bile acids and in the synthesis of
lipids.
For example, eggs are important sources of proteins, vitamins and
minerals that healthy individuals eat as part of a well-balanced diet.
But since eggs are also rich in cholesterol, nutrition experts recommend
limiting the food's consumption to just one whole egg a day for each
individual. This way, the benefits of eggs can be enjoyed while avoiding
their high cholesterol count.
The trick then is to know which of the known high cholesterol
foods must be completely avoided or significantly limited in planning
for a heart-healthy diet. You will be hard-pressed to determine which
foods fall into what category considering the abundance of conflicting
information over traditional and online media. You may be tempted to
just go with the flow but this is not a good move either simply because
lapses in judgment today will manifest negative consequences in the days
to come.
Fortunately, you can
make it easier on yourself. This article differentiates the
high-cholesterol content food items that must be completely avoided and
significantly limited in an understandable manner. Since we know that
certain foods are ultra-delicious and, hence, may be too irresistible to
exclude in the diet, appropriate substitutions are also recommended.
Think of it as eating your cake without the guilt trip.
Eggs, Meat and Poultry
Let's
start the list of high cholesterol foods with the most common - eggs,
meat and poultry. Unless you are a vegetarian and the like, we simply
cannot avoid these food items from showing up on the dinner table
anywhere from breakfast to the midnight snack. But this does not
necessarily mean that you can just shovel in these food items into your
waiting mouth and forget about the consequences.
The best
thing that you can do is to assess your daily consumption of eggs, meat
and poultry, decide which category each food falls into and then make
the necessary changes to adopt the healthy eating plan. This is true for
all of the high cholesterol foods on this list.
Eggs must be
limited to just one whole egg daily, as previously mentioned. You may
use egg whites or egg substitutes if the recipes call for more than just
one whole egg. You can also get creative by inventing new eggless
recipes although browsing the online sites for such recipes is just as
acceptable.
As for meat and poultry, the categories are more
or less defined. Limit the consumption of high-fat cuts of beef and pork
particularly the top loin, tenderloin, brisket, porterhouse, T-bone,
flank and rib-eye. Even processed and luncheon meats including ham, hot
dogs and bologna must make lesser appearances on the breakfast spread,
no thanks to their high sodium and saturated fat contents.
In
contrast, you must completely avoid the consumption of high cholesterol
foods like organ meats including the liver, intestines and sweetbreads.
Ground beef, sausages and canned meats as well as duck and goose meat
are on the no-no list, too. Yes, even frying in duck or goose fat will
send in the heart attack and stroke.
Instead, we recommend
leaner meat and poultry including turkey, chicken (no skin please), veal
and lamb as well as loin or round cuts of pork and beef. Our
meat-loving brethren can still have their barbecues but the healthier
ones, thankfully.
Dairy Products
High
cholesterol foods also include liquid and semi-liquid items. Whole-fat
dairy products like butter, whole milk and 2% fat dairy products
including yogurt and cheese are best limited in daily diet. Switching to
low-fat varieties is the best alternative although you can go one step
healthier by choosing non-fat dairy products. We suggest trying skim
milk on your breakfast cereal and see how the combination works for your
palate.
Cooking Oils
The
healthier alternatives of lean meat and poultry will be rendered for
naught if and when these are fried in high-cholesterol cooking oils. We
recommend using olive oil because of its high contents of
monounsaturated fatty acids and antioxidative substances, both of which
promote a healthy heart by lowering LDL levels and increasing HDL levels
in the blood.
Read the labels, too, since high cholesterol
foods hide behind deceptive marketing words. If the list of ingredients
lists down hydrogenated and partially-hydrogenated oils, then it is best
to avoid these food products. Yes, even the beloved French fries are
best avoided for your own sake.
Sweet Treats
Individuals
with a sweet tooth will protest but if a healthier diet is to be
achieved, then the sweet treats especially those made with saturated
fats and partially hydrogenated oils must say a farewell to the table.
Cakes, cookies, muffins, crackers, pastries, pies, and doughnuts should
say farewell although a little indulgence now and then is fine.
Don't
worry since these high cholesterol foods can still be enjoyed at home.
We suggest baking using healthier alternatives like egg substitutes and
fresh fruits when baking these sweet treats. You must look at the
positive side that there are delicious recipes that can take the place
of your favorite if unhealthy foods.
Toppings and Dressings
If
frying low-cholesterol foods in hydrogenated oils is considered still
unhealthy, then putting high-cholesterol toppings and dressings is in
the same category. Do avoid food items like creams, gravy and butter on
your low-cholesterol food especially when you can enjoy great taste with
dressings like fat-free salad mayonnaise, olive oil and safflower oil.
If
you find yourself on the verge of caving in to the siren call of the
high cholesterol foods on the supermarket shelves and dining
establishments, think of the many complications your decision today will
result in tomorrow. Did you know that an unhealthy diet rich in high
cholesterol food items can lead to heart attacks and strokes? Now,
that's scary, indeed.
