Nutrition, Diet And Food Choices

Here is a list of food choices to help implement a low cholesterol diet:

 Start by choosing healthier low fat foods.

 Buy unsaturated fats and oils.

 Use cooking-sprays (low-fat) to replace oils and further cut fat from our diet.

 Use food preparation techniques that do not require oil (stir-fry, steam, boil etc.).

 No deep-frying foods or baking/preparing foods in heavy oils.

 Be alert for hidden dangers! Especially try to avoid foods that contain harmful trans-fats such as margarine, salad dressing and sauces. Rather, opt for lemon juice and natural flavorings and eliminate added salts and fats!

 Cut calories and eat for the right reason: Eat only enough calories to improve your healthy weight and reduce your blood cholesterol level.

 Take in LESS than 200 milligrams of dietary cholesterol each day, or follow the limits for dietary cholesterol that your doctor sets for you, which might be even less than ‘normal’ if deemed appropriate in your case.

 *Limit saturated fats to less than 7% of daily intake.

 Limit your sodium intake to 2400 milligrams a day.

 If you are faced with really high/bad cholesterol levels, consume only very low portions of saturated fat.

Fiber is good for you. Our bodies need it to digest foods properly. Soluble fiber is best and may help you consistently lower your cholesterol for good. Try new sources of high fiber foods full like:

• Dried peas and beans • Fruits (especially oranges and pears) • Oats, Rye, and Barley • Vegetables (especially brussel sprouts and carrots)

Foods to avoid at all costs for a low cholesterol diet:

 All foods high in cholesterol like egg yolks and full-fat dairy, even organ meats (liver/kidneys).

 Fried and processed foods or foods high in fat and salt.

 Highly processed foods (deli meats, sausages, hot dogs, bologna, salami and fatty red meats).

Food-selection tips:

 We are advised to limit daily intake to 6 ounces or less of animal products to keep our cholesterol levels in check.

 Fish is your best option for protein and nutrients! It is even better than chicken.

 *When choosing meat and animal protein: Select lean cuts: white meats with less ‘marbleizing’ (which is the cholesterol). Skinless meats are best, lean cuts with no excess fat. Remove the skin of chicken.

 Smaller, more regular meals are better for your metabolism.

 *Variety is the key, from all food-groups, every day.

 Fruits and vegetables are good for you – better than animal fats!

The following reference list is not meant to be a complete listing – only quoted and provided here for illustrative purposes and to give you a checklist of sorts to start buying some new vegetables:

Alfalfa sprouts * Anise * Apples * Apricots * Artichoke * Arugula * Asparagus * Avocado * Bananas * Bean sprouts * Beans * Beets and beet greens * Berries * Bok choy * Breadfruit * Broccoli * Brussels sprouts * Cabbage * Calabrese * Carrots * Cauliflower * Celeriac * Celery * Chard * Cherries * Chicory * Chives * Clementines * Collard * Corn * Cucumber * Daikon * Dates * Eggplant * Endive * Fennel * Fiddleheads * Figs * Frisee * Garlic * Grapefruits * Grapes * Guava * Kailan * Kale * Kiwis * Kohlrabi * Kumquats * Leek * Lemon grass * Lemons and Limes * Lentils * Lettuce * Lychee fruits * Mangos * Melons * Mushrooms * Mustard greens * Nectarines * Nettles * Okra * Onions * Oranges * Papayas * Parsnips * Passion Fruits * Peaches * Pears * Peas * Peppers * Persimmons * Pineapples * Plums * Pomegranates * Potatoes * Pummelo * Qunices * Radicchio * Radishes * Rapini * Rhubarb * Rutabaga * Skirret * Spinach * Squashes * Star Fruit * Sweety * Tangelos * Tangerines * Tomatoes * Tubers * Turnip and turnip greens * Ugli Fruits * Water chestnuts * Watercress * Zucchini

Be creative; think of ways that you can use some of these in your meals. Make it a food and culinary adventure. Try a new fruit/vegetable every week.