Vegetarian
Protein
Sugar
Food and Diet
Vitamins and Supplements
Fat
Daily Requirements
Carbohydrates
Diet dilemmas for the New Year
Have you got a dieting dilemma? These readers did and Catherine Matthews, nutritionist for eDiets and iVillage, provided the answers
Cut your cholesterol
Reader: I have just found out that I have a high cholesterol level (6) and after giving up smoking, I have put on a stone in weight. Can you advise me on my diet?
Catherine Matthews: There are two main sources of cholesterol. The first is food and the second is your body. Contrary to popular belief, cholesterol in food has little effect on blood cholesterol for most people. All foods of animal origin contain cholesterol, including eggs, red meat, and shrimp. It is the amount of fat eaten, particularly saturated and trans fat, that is the main cause of high blood cholesterol.
Foods that are high in saturated fats or trans fats should be limited. These include meals you may not even have thought of, such as a grilled cheese sandwich, chicken pie or potato with butter and margarine. Replace steaks, burgers, and fried foods with fish, chicken, and turkey that has been baked or broiled. Don't eat more than two eggs per week as they contain a large amount of cholesterol.
You may need to increase your intake of fruit and vegetables and aim to eat at least two portions of oily fish per week. Oily fish such as tuna, mackerel and salmon are great sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been linked to reducing cholesterol levels. Eat a high fibre diet. Fibre binds the bad cholesterol and helps prevent it from entering your bloodstream.
Examples of high fibre foods include porridge, wholegrain breakfast cereals, vegetables, brown rice and brown bread. Small portions of nuts and seeds are good sources of essential fatty acids which can increase your HDL (high-density lipoprotein) - or good cholesterol, and reduce your LDL (low-density lipoprotein) - bad cholesterol. Ensure you are drinking plenty of water; at least 1-2 litres per day.
Weight loss will help you reduce your cholesterol, so follow the eating guidelines as above. Try to take regular exercise and you should find your health improves.
1 | 2 | next
printer friendly
send to a friend
these 3 easy steps:
2. Personalise your plan
3. Get started £2.99 a week
Delicious
Digg
reddit
Facebook
StumbleUpon
Horoscopes| Message Boards | Quizzes | Newsletters | Join
iVillage Ltd is a UK company registered in England & Wales (3837269) at 80-110 New Oxford Street, London WC1 1HB
