High Cholesterol Foods

Normal Cholesterol Levels

If you have been diagnosed with heart disease or any heart conditions your doctor may have told you that you need to avoid foods that are high in cholesterol.

In today’s world, this could be almost everything you eat because foods are grown and processed differently. Here is a list of common high cholesterol foods to avoid.

1. Ice Cream It’s become a very popular and delicious

dessert however it should be on your list of foods to avoid because it is high in cholesterol.

You don’t have to give up cold treats all together; you can choose yogurt and sherbet instead. These are two healthy alternatives to ice cream.

Some stores also carry fat-free ice cream which taste almost as good as regular ice cream — you may be limited in your choice of flavors, but if you MUST eat ice cream and avoid high cholesterol foods, then this is the way to go.

2. Red MeatBeef is in almost everything from tacos to

the great tasting hamburger. However you need to decrease the amount of beef you consume. You can still have a great tasting hamburger every once in a while but you need to limit the amount you consume. If you want to eat burgers more often, try using lean ground turkey meat or lean ground chicken meat for preparing the burgers

Pork and Lamb are a common ingredients in several ethnic cuisines. If you belong to these ethnicities, reserve the use of pork or lamb for special occasions and try to use white meat like chicken or turkey on other occasions. Use fish as much as possible since it contains beneficial Omega-3 fatty acids.

3. Whole Milk (and Whole Milk Products)

There are several foods that contain milk products. Whole milk has too much fat in it and regular consumption of whole milk could lead to elevated cholesterol levels.

Avoid other whole milk products like cheese, butter and yogurt as well. Pretty much all grocery stores now carry fat-free milk and fat-free milk products.

If used used to whole milk and cannot switch to fat-free in one shot, try going down to 2% and after you get used to it, try 1% and eventually to the fat-free version.

4. Processed FoodsEveryone loves hot dogs, subs, processed

cheese, soups, pizza, pasta dinners, or frozen dinners but these foods can be hazardous to your health if you consume them on a regular basis.

These foods are processed and when foods are processed they contain fillers, nitrates, and other ingredients that can be harmful to the heart.

They are high in cholesterol as well and should be avoided. If you like the taste of these foods then you can decrease the amount that you consume daily so you can decrease the intake of bad cholesterol, and over a period of time, eliminate them.

5. Fried FoodEveryone likes some type of fried foods —

fried chicken, fried fish, potato chips, and more. These foods have a great taste but the fact that it is fried in grease and oils can result in high cholesterol for you. In order to avoid high cholesterol foods you will need to decrease drastically or eliminate completely all fried foods from your diet.

6. EggsEggs have had a bit of a knock for their

cholesterol content, which is approximately 213 mg per egg and over the recommended daily limit, but scientists are not sure if it is the bad kind of cholesterol yet.

The good news is that the cholesterol is all in the yolk, so you can still have your morning omelet if you’re prepared to settle for just the whites.

They are low in saturated fat, low in calories, and pretty nutritious so it would be a pity to leave them out completely.

7. Organ MeatsOrgan meats are in general high in

cholesterol. But the ones that you MUST avoid at all costs is brain and liver. If you are not very convinced think about this — liver is the organ in our body that generates cholesterol. So liver from any animal is bound to be high in cholesterol. Try to avoid chicken skin as well as most of the fat in poultry tends to be just under the skin.

8. Fatty SnacksWhether it is the afternoon daze or

midnight snack attack, a pack of chips or cookies is not the kind of snack to grab if you are watching your cholesterol  levels (or otherwise, for that matter!).

And while you try to breeze through the drive through and the server asks “Would you like a side of fries or a drink?”, we highly recommend that your answer be “No, Thanks!”.

Other fatty snacks include, but are not limited to onion rings, donuts, muffins, chocolate bars etc.

Try healthy snacks like fruits, nuts, popcorn or low-fat yogurt instead.

9. SeafoodThere is a lot of controversy about

whether the cholesterol in seafood is good for you or not, and the jury is still out. For now, it would be safer to avoid all kinds of shell fish such as oysters, crab, lobster, mussels etc. Try having fish instead. Salmon is one of the most highly recommended food for folks suffering with heart disease since it contains a large amount of Omega-3 fatty acids.

10. Dips, Dressings and SpreadsSalads are a very popular meal choice for

a lot of people watching their cholesterol ratio (or their waist line).

But a lot of people forget to pick a low-fat dressing. Just one tablespoon of regular Ranch dressing can contain as much as 5 mg of Cholesterol.

And remember when you order a healthy sub, to pass up on the mayo — the primary ingredient used in making mayo is egg yolk which is very high in cholesterol.  

And when you choose a healthy snack like carrots and celery, remember to pay attention to the dip.

Why Are High Cholesterol Foods Bad For You?

High cholesterol foods contain high LDL cholesterol levels or low-density lipoproteins which are considered bad for your health. These are lipids that literally clog up your arteries by building up on the inside of them.

LDL cholesterol also hardens the walls of the arteries and stops blood from flowing through.

This is called atheroma and can lead to severe cardio vascular conditions such as a heart attack or stroke if it is not managed correctly.

What Can You Do Instead?If your cholesterol is high then a good

rule for your daily consumption is to avoid fatty and oily food. Usually food that is high in fat is high in cholesterol too. Yes, this means that you should drive past all those drive thrus, but there are many alternatives to fatty, oily fast foods that are healthier for you

Choose foods that contain whole wheat because whole wheat can help to lower your cholesterol among other things. Choose fruits and non-fried vegetables instead of processed foods. Fruits are a great snack for everyone. If you think you don’t like fruit, try it in different dishes.

Other healthy snacks include nuts and popcorn. You need to read labels when purchasing nuts. They may have a high amount of fat in them if you choose nuts that are other than raw or natural.

Popcorn is an inexpensive snack but it is important that you get plain popcorn and not popcorn that contains too much butter, salt or added flavors since These added flavors are usually high in cholesterol.

Being more conscious about consuming Low Cholesterol Foods is important and no one can do it for you. Take control of your body and what goes in it and you will be rewarded by returning back to (and staying at) normal cholesterol levels.

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