How To Reduce Cholesterol by Diet Planning

Reduce Your Cholesterol

In a previous blog about cholesterol, lowering cholesterol levels was demonstrated to lower the risk of heart disease.  A low cholesterol diet plan works by lowering the quantity of saturated fat to reduce LDL cholesterol as well as using more monounsaturated fats and soluble fiber to increase HDL cholesterol.

Diet Plan

Cholesterol is found only in foods from animals, not in plant foods.  Reducing the amount of meat, replacing beef, pork or lamb with fish or chicken, and increasing the amount of whole grains and vegetables reduces the amount of saturated fat intake.

When eating meat, choose lean cuts and trim away all visible fat and skin before cooking.  USDA cuts marked Choice and Select are leaner than Prime.  Meat baked or broiled over a rack allows fat to drain; frying seals in the fat.  Stews and soups, when refrigerated, allow fat to be skimmed off.  Processed meats, usually high in saturated fat, are to be avoided.

Here are some tips to get more results:

Saturated fat in dairy products (butter, milk, and cream) can be reduce by using low-fat milk or cheese.

Soluble fiber is found in oatmeal and oat bran, kidney beans, brussel sprouts, pears and apples.  Brown rice and whole grain pasta also lower cholesterol.

Trans fats act like saturated fats and are found in commercially baked and fried foods, like doughnuts, french fries, cookies, muffins, crackers pies and cakes. 

Cholesterol is found in egg yolk, but not in egg whites, which are protein rich.

Monounsaturated fats, which help reduce cholesterol levels, are found in canola oil, olive oil or peanut oil, rather than cooking with corn oil.

Robert G. Tupac, DDS, FACP, Inc., Diplomate, American Board of Prosthodontics (661) 325-1275 | www.drtupac.com 5060 California Ave., #170, Bakersfield, CA 93309