High blood cholesterol is considered one of the main predisposing factors of cardiovascular diseases.
Cholesterol (or cholesterol as we commonly call it) is divided into two main categories: “bad” (LDL) and “good” (HDL).
High levels of LDL cholesterol increase the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke. In patients, for example, it suffers coronary disease, peripheral artery disease or carotid disease, the doctor recommends cholesterol-lowering drugs such as statins. For most people, a careful lifestyle review with careful diet, weight control, more exercise, stress management and quitting smoking can help.
“I often tell my patients that diet is the key to lowering cholesterol. “Focusing on a plant-based diet, reducing saturated fat and eating more fiber-rich foods like vegetables and whole grains has been shown to lower cholesterol levels with or without the use of statins,” said , cardiologist and associate at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center;
He should recommend an ideal menu to reduce cholesterol.
Cholesterol: How to lower it with diet
Breakfast
“My days usually start with a high-protein yogurt with little sugar or saturated fat. I add a banana or citrus along with oats or a whole grain bar. On weekends, I’ll make an egg-white omelette with fruit and vegetable sausage with my family – a light protein-packed breakfast,” she says.
Lunch
“For me, lunch is the most controlled meal of the day. You can choose to take food from home to work or stop for a bite to eat,” he says.
She tries to take out food from home most days of the week.
One of her favorite lunches is tuna or tofu with citrus and green salad and black bean or kale soup (with vinaigrette instead of mayo). Other days, she’ll have a tuna and cucumber sandwich on whole wheat bread and carrots or a side of kimchi (a Korean pickle considered a superfood), along with homemade lentil, tomato and portobello mushroom soup.
Snack
For snacks at work, she avoids carbs and soda, keeps nuts like almonds or peanuts at her desk, and sometimes adds dried fruit, though it’s important to watch out for sugar.
He drinks unsweetened tea or regular coffee and sometimes adds a slice of citrus fruit to his water bottle.
Supper
“At dinner, I try to have fish or a plant-based protein source as my main meal,” she says.
For example, oven-roasted Brussels sprouts with grape seed butter, long-grain rice, and grilled salmon with green salad.
Other times it will be plant protein or non-starchy vegetables like broccoli or asparagus. Oatmeal and quinoa are grain choices that are higher in protein and fiber than pasta or white rice, she explains.
Healthy foods to lower cholesterol
There are many delicious and healthy foods that a person can include in their diet, such as:
- oats
- quinoa
- brown rice
- barley and other whole grains
- leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables such as kale, spinach, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower
- legumes, such as beans, lentils and pulses
- avocado
- apricots, plums, apples, pears, oranges and other fruits
- walnuts, almonds, chia seeds, and other high-fiber sources of healthy fats
- low-fat dairy products
Working with a nutritionist
However, there is no one-size-fits-all diet, and the foods you should eat to improve your health depend on whether you have health problems such as heart disease, diabetes or digestive problems, says the cardiologist. Therefore, it is best to consult your doctor or dietitian about which diet is best for you.