However, all cholesterol is not bad, as most know by now. There are two types of cholesterol: high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL). HDL helps to remove excess fats from your blood while high LDL is known to lead to a higher incidence of strokes and heart attacks.
So the question is how can we follow a diet that helps us reduce LDL while still gaining the benefits of HDL? Below you will find a list of foods to avoid and foods you should eat in order to reduce overall cholesterol levels.
Food To Avoid
Eggs Eggs have very high levels of LDL. (Note that the white of an egg is not bad for you.)
Fats and Oils Fried foods, hydrogenated oils and excess amount of other oils are all considered to be very high in LDL.
Sugar Products Most sugar products will increase LDL almost exclusively. Avoid them.
Reduce Cholesterol With Celery Eating raw celery is an excellent and healthy way to reducehigh cholesterol blood levels. According to tests byresearchers at the University of Chicago, celery reducescholesterol levels by as much as 7 points with as little as2 stalks a day.
Not all the cholesterol that causes problems comes fromfood. The liver manufactures up to 75 percent of thecholesterol in the body. It is in the liver thatcholesterol is manufactured and broken down by specialenzymes to be removed from the body. Celery aids thisprocess by increasing bile acid secretion. Laboratorystudies also indicate that butyl ..
Meat Products All meat products have very high levels of HDL and should be avoided.
Shell Fish Though overall fish are healthy and help to reduce cholesterol this is not the case with shellfish. Crabs, shrimp (prawns), lobster and other such foods are very high in LDL.
Dairy Products All dairy products have high levels of LDL. It is recommended that you use non-fat dairy products instead.
Fast Foods Most, if not all fast foods are very high in fat content and increase LDL.
FOODS TO EAT
Cholesterol ControlNewspapers have reported on the drawbacks of having a diet high
in fat. High-fat diet has been linked to high cholesterol and
ultimately to heart attacks. Hence, people have started avoiding
beef and eggs. But cholesterol is not bad. Our body needs it to
protect nerves and build new cells and hormones. It is only when
we include foods like pizzas, burgers, ice creams, steaks or any
food containing animal product that the problem starts. Excess
cholesterol settles along the walls of the arteries and can clog
them thus, restricting blood flow. This gives rise to angina,
heart a ..
Low-Fat / Non-Fat Dairy Products Low fat or no-fat dairy products are much better options than their normal counterparts but make sure you know the actual fat content of the item.
Non-Shell Fish All fish are high in Omega-3 and as a result they actually help lower cholesterol.
Soy Products Soy products high in protein are good for reducing cholesterol.
Nuts Nuts such as walnut, almond, pecan and peanut all help to reduce cholesterol if they are eaten in their natural form.
