Showing posts with label bad cholesterol foods. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bad cholesterol foods. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

worst cholesterol foods

Where Does High Cholesterol Come From?

Author: MiShaun Taylor

One of the most disturbing and one of the most silent killers within modern society is high cholesterol which often leads to heart attack. From French fries dripping with grease and unhealthy foods that are available upon a moment's request, it is becoming more difficult to fight high cholesterol. However, there are many more causes that may come hand in hand with elevated cholesterol levels and knowing the causes for this terrible condition. When you find out what causes high cholesterol, you will be in a better position to take action in order to reduce the effects high cholesterol levels can have on your life.



Obesity or Being Overweight - High blood pressure is like a magnet for overweight or obese people, and can really do damage if it's not properly controlled. In fact, with the high amount of foods that we consume from fast food chains and other places can cause a very large risk for high cholesterol. Saturated fat is one of the worst culprits and it can be found in fast food, pre packaged food and prepared food. Many people don't know that food which is high in carbs can also be a perfect precursor to elevated cholesterol. While we get tons of energy from carbs, when the energy is not needed right away, these things get stored and converted into fat! If possible, stay away from foods like this; especially if you have a genetic predisposition to high cholesterol!



Genetics - Of course, your risk of elevated cholesterol levels is worse if you have had someone in your immediate family or even your distanced family with cholesterol issues. Many times, this means that it is nearly impossible to control the cholesterol levels with natural methods. In fact, with genetic cases of cholesterol it can be difficult even to control them with medications. There is a chance, however that with natural methods such as diet, exercise and low stress, that the cholesterol will be lowered or will not have such damaging effects on the body.



Age and Gender - With age, cholesterol levels do rise. Although there are cases in which even children have had high cholesterol which led to heart disease, the truth is that cholesterol becomes more of a problem the older we get. Men are also more likely to have elevated cholesterol because their bodies product more than women do, up until menopause. After that, women are at a greater risk of heart disease due to high cholesterol. One thing is for sure; cholesterol does not discriminate.



Being Stressed Out - Although it doesn't seem like much, stress is a really powerful thing. Large amounts of stress will cause people to behave differently as well as live differently. Through indirect reasons, stress can cause cholesterol levels to rise, and learning how to properly manage stress and of course getting time to relax will help you prevent high cholesterol due to stress.



Obesity, foods high in trans fat and saturated fat, and even stress can cause high cholesterol. Even the healthiest of people can have damaging cholesterol problems which may lead to heart attack or stroke. However, learning to care for our bodies in the most natural ways can really prevent this problem and help us have a great, healthy and carefree life! The key is to do what it takes to keep cholesterol levels in check.

About the Author:
Do you suffer from high cholesterol? Do you want to take control of this condition with proven techniques that work? If so, please visit http://www.cholesterolreducing.net We will teach you how to reduce your cholesterol with diet and holistic/traditional medical treatments.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Where Does High Cholesterol Come From?

Friday, July 17, 2009

list of bad cholesterol foods

What Are High Cholesterol?

Author: Penny Albright

It should not come as a big surprise that the foods we love are very high in cholesterol. However, given that there is good and bad cholesterol, it is important to distinguish between the two. So as HDL is good and LDL is bad, it is very important to avoid or at least try to eat foods that are low in LDL cholesterol because too much can cause heart disease.

If you are reading this article, you have probably been told by your doctor or have personally decided to reduce your cholesterol levels. So, what are the high cholesterol foods that you should omit from your diet?

Firstly, there are two main ingredients that will raise your cholesterol levels:

Saturated fat - found in most animal products

LDL cholesterol - found in most animal products

Some sources of fat and bad cholesterol that are considered high cholesterol foods can include:

Meats

Nuts

Dairy foods

However, not all of them are bad. This is why it is important to monitor the saturated fat content in foods because the more there is, the harder the liver has to work to detoxify the body. Also, subsequent LDL cholesterol from bad fats will create plaque inside arteries, veins, and capillaries which can result in serious, if not deadly, cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks.

The following is a list of high cholesterol foods. They are listed according to food type, serving size, and cholesterol levels. If at all possible, try to eat something else, or choose lower fat versions of them:

Food Serving Size Cholesterol Level

Beef, kidney 3.5oz 375 mg

Beef, liver 3.5oz 300 mg

Beefsteak 3.5oz 70 mg

Boiled egg 1 225 mg

Butter 3.5oz 250 mg

Cheddar cheese 1oz 19 mg

Chicken 3.5oz 60 mg

Cream cheese 1oz 27 mg

Ice Cream 3.5oz 45 mg

Lamb 3.5oz 70 mg

Sponge cake 3.5oz 260 mg

Dietary Changes

This section will give you information on how to reduce cholesterol by changing your diet.

Many people suffer with high cholesterol because of the type of diet they follow. Eating foods which are high in saturated fat can cause high cholesterol. Our bodies need a certain amount of fat to function properly but we need to be careful what kind of fat we consume. The saturated fats that are found in meat products, whole fat milk, cheese and butter are the bad fats, as are trans fats or hydrogenated fats which are found in commercially produced cakes, cookies, pastries, fast food, coconut oil and palm oil.

It is good to know how to reduce cholesterol by simply changing the type of fat that you consume. Cut down on foods containing saturated fat or replace them with foods containing good fats like mono-unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

Mono-unsaturated fats are found in oils like rapeseed oil and olive oil and some nuts. Polyunsaturated fats are found in oily fish such as salmon, sardines, herrings and mackerel, and also some spreads. These types of fats are actually good for our hearts and cholesterol levels.

How to reduce cholesterol by changing your habits:-

- Stop using butter on your bread or in baking and instead use polyunsaturated spreads or olive oil.

- Fry foods with olive oil or avoid frying and grill, microwave or steam foods.

- Trim fat off meat or use lean cuts.

- Replace meat with soya products or cook more vegetarian meals.

- Buy low fat versions of your normal foods.

- Replace snacks like cakes and cookies with fruit and vegetable based snacks.

- Eat oily fish two or three times a week.

It is important to have no more than 200mg or less of cholesterol per day. The rest of any healthy diet should include fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes (peas, beans, lentils, etc.), whole grains and either 2% or no-fat milk. The American Heart Association recommends a calorie controlled version of the 'Mediterranean Diet'. This can be found in pyramid for through their website.

About the Author:
What are high cholesterol foods? Webmaster of mecholestrol.com Penny Albright is providing her viewers with facts and solutions, how to reduce high cholesterol. Simply by memorizing the list of high cholesterol food and avoid dangerous fat levels, you will notice a difference.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - What Are High Cholesterol?

Thursday, May 28, 2009

worst foods for cholesterol

High Cholesterol Foods – Healthy, not Harmful

Author: Paul Rodgers

High cholesterol foods are usually foods high in saturated fats. High cholesterol foods are the more delicious foods. High cholesterol foods are mainly found in all animals and animal products, for example, egg yolks, meat, poultry, fish and higher fat milk products. High cholesterol foods are a major contributor to having high blood pressure. High cholesterol foods are bad for us, and God knew it.


Your body produces three to four times more cholesterol than you eat. The production of cholesterol increases when you eat little cholesterol and decreases when you eat much. In other words, the more high cholesterol foods you eat, the less cholesterol your body produces. It is true that the body – more specifically the liver – can produce cholesterol for the body's needs. But taking cholesterol from high cholesterol foods can be helpful. When you do not take enough high cholesterol foods – for example, if you take mainly vegetable oils rather than animal fat containing cholesterol – the cholesterol in your blood will the transferred to your cells.

In traditional societies, high cholesterol foods were regarded as healthy foods. Our ancestors did not know about cholesterol but they knew that eggs, organ meat (including the brain), seafood, shellfish… were all highly nourishing for the body. Cholesterol is not a deadly poison, but a substance vital to the cells of all mammals. Cholesterol in its proper place is good, but it also has a dark side. Thus, the highest concentration of cholesterol in the body is found in the brain and other parts of the nervous system. And because cholesterol is needed for the brain, babies and children need high cholesterol foods for brain development. One of the richest high cholesterol foods is, in fact, human breast milk. And one of the worst foods to give to babies is soy infant formula, because it contains zero cholesterol.

People with very low cholesterol (below 150 mg/dl) are more prone to depression and nervous system disorders. Many scientific studies have found an association between cholesterol and heart disease. But this does not meant that high cholesterol foods cause heart disease – because there are people who eat plenty of high cholesterol foods and do not develop heart disease. And there are also people who develop heart disease even though they avoid high cholesterol foods. It is also important to understand that eating high cholesterol foods will not automatically lead to high cholesterol levels in the blood.

Among the many research findings published in scientific journals, Uffe Ravnskov discovered that: lowering cholesterol did not result in lower death rates from heart disease, but in HIGHER death rates from all causes. More significantly, Uffe Ravnskov has published over 80 scientific papers and letters in peer-reviewed journals criticizing what is commonly called the Lipid Hypothesis of heart disease – the belief that dietary saturated fats and cholesterol clog arteries and cause atherosclerosis and heart disease. Click here to read more about Uffe Ravnskov and the benefits of high cholesterol foods. Foods that are high in saturated fats and trans fat (such as coconut oil) can also raise your level of LDL (bad) cholesterol, so, in a way, they have a similar effect on your body as eating high cholesterol foods. But it does not stop there, because there are a number of other foods that may not be considered "high cholesterol foods" but that still raise your LDL cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol) more than high cholesterol foods do. If a food does not come from an animal (such as a fruit or vegetable), then it does not have cholesterol.


To appreciate why high cholesterol foods are not harmful, we need to understand what cholesterol is, and what role it plays in human health. Typically, high cholesterol foods are also high in saturated fats, which is part of what makes them taste good. High cholesterol foods should not be entirely avoided, as many of them are an essential part of a healthy diet, as noted above, but you should learn to reduce their intake in order to maintain or lower your LDL cholesterol levels. High cholesterol foods are animal products such as eggs, fatty meats, and any poultry with the skin on would be high in cholesterol.


About the Author:

Paul Rodgers specializes in marketing natural health and beauty products. Find out more about High Cholesterol Foods – Healthy, not Harmful

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - High Cholesterol Foods – Healthy, not Harmful

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Foods To Bring Down Cholesterol

How to Lower Cholesterol: Lower Cholesterol Naturally With Holistic Lifestyle Modifications

Author: Steven R Arnold

There are no hidden secrets concerning how to lower cholesterol. It simply requires the planning and initiation of positive lifestyle modifications in terms of diet, exercise and stress management. Your eating and exercise habits are what has caused your cholesterol levels to become elevated – and they are also what will bring your cholesterol levels back into check. Yes, there are some drugs manufactured by multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical companies that can help in reducing cholesterol levels, but your first line of defense against high cholesterol is a healthy diet and lifestyle. You can effectively bring down cholesterol naturally by following the helpful tips below:

Avoid high cholesterol foods:

High cholesterol foods cause increased levels of low density lipoproteins (LDL) that carry cholesterol to build up a waxy plaque on the interior of your arterial walls. This is called hypercholesterolemia, the cause of atherosclerosis, and is characterized by the following:

  • Your heart has to work harder to pump blood through the narrowed arterial openings;

  • With the restricted blood flow, your body parts, tissues and organs become starved for oxygen and nutrients;

  • Your arteries become stretched and weakened;

  • Your probability for congestive heart failure, myocardial infarctions, strokes and kidney failure all significantly increase;

  • You take years of enjoyment away from your life and from those that love you.

List of high cholesterol foods:

  • All foods with even moderate levels of saturated fats;

  • All foods with any level of Trans fats;

  • Fat red meats;

  • Goose and duck meat as well as turkey and chicken;
  • All organs from animals;

  • Dairy products that have not had the fats removed from them;

  • Shellfish;

Also be sure to avoid excessive alcohol consumption and high-sodium food sources. Paying strict attention to your diet for lowering cholesterol will add fun-filled and healthy years to your life.

Exercise some every day:

Exercise is a vital component for healthy living. Exercise stimulates your metabolism and helps you to lower cholesterol naturally. Blood, along with the oxygen and nutrients that it carries, is delivered more efficiently. Your heart, a muscle itself, becomes stronger and better able to perform its never-ending duties. Your perspiration increases and helps you to flush out toxic buildups inside of you. Your probability for development of every disease is lessened significantly. You will look, feel, think and act better with daily exercise.

Manage your stress levels:

Untamed stressors contribute significantly to the development of every disease in existence. You can manage your stress effectively with attention given to your well-being. Study the pleasing techniques of meditation. Learn Yoga. Take some classes in Pilates. Pray. There are various ways to increase the calm in your life and capacitate yourself to thrive for many years to come.

Learning how to lower cholesterol is as simple as intending to love yourself by eating wholesome foods, exercising every day and managing your stress levels. It should go without saying that smoking is also disallowed. Take control of your health beginning today and experience the liberation that rapidly comes with your new holistically-healthy lifestyle. Enjoy!

About the Author:

Steven R Arnold is editor of http://fatsense.com



The Healthy Heart Series of Essential Knowledge Guides is a new audio book series that will show you how to naturally lower your cholesterol, blood pressure and blood glucose numbers safely and easily.



You'll find the Healthy Heart Series of Essential Knowledge Guides only at http://fatsense.com

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - How to Lower Cholesterol: Lower Cholesterol Naturally With Holistic Lifestyle Modifications

Thursday, April 16, 2009

What is Bad Cholesterol????

Understanding What is Bad Cholesterol

Author: Jan Richards

Cholesterol is a very familiar medical term almost to anyone, particularly the middle age group. It is a common thing the word will never be a part of teen-age lingo. The main reason is, most of the dreaded ailments accompanying "high cholesterol" levels are associated with hypertension, heart failure, diabetes and other long term and acquired conditions, which does not could also happen to younger generation as juvenile complications. To make it clear, when the majority is talking about lowering cholesterol, it is all about alleviating the further progress of bad cholesterol.

There are two kinds of cholesterol accumulating or present in the human body. Bad cholesterol or low-density lipoprotein is harmful because it can cause atheroma. Atheroma is considered to be the plaque of the arteries, commonly referred to as fat streaks. If not watched carefully, accumulation of 'macrophage white blood cells' can happen to a child even before the age of 10.

The early symptoms may start as early as 5 years old, while the child grows up and the condition is accumulating quietly in the veins. Most of the time, the exact symptoms are only given prognosis after the onset of heart attack or stroke, which is already too late for the patient. The attack of silent killers may not cause death but chances are it can lead to lifetime disability.

It is debilitating to imagine how high levels of bad cholesterol can cause serious consequences to the body. When most people may appear healthy all the time, cholesterols can only be checked through lab tests. Sometimes it surprises people to find out how high their cholesterol build-up has soared for the past years.

There is no mystery behind the strengthening of bad cholesterol other than high consumption of saturated fats in the diet. In the advent of labels or guides in processed foods like canned goods and other packed products in the groceries, it is easy to see the amount of cholesterol a food has. This is just a small matter on how to grasp the essence of being cholesterol conscious.

The major way to lower down cholesterol levels in the body is to understand how it metabolizes in the body. Cholesterol doe not actually come from diet alone. It is a whole process within where diet is just one of the contributing factor. Good cholesterol aids in the body's biochemical functioning like producing bile, regulating of vitamins that are fat soluble such as A, K, D, and E.

It also has impact on the synthesis of the body hormone. After cholesterol has been utilized in the body, it excretes as excess lipids in the liver and gall bladder as crystal particles. Because cholesterol is not water soluble, it circulates over and over and gets converted to bad cholesterol (low density lipoproteins). For normal individuals with healthy metabolism, bad cholesterol is minimal and comes in as large quantities. The harmful ones are those that come in many number of small sizes trapped in the veins as accumulated clogs.

When it comes to lowering high cholesterol, basically there is nothing to ponder about genetic weaknesses, the key is watching over food intake. Cholesterol is highly present in animal meats and fats, especially pork and beef. It is easy to watch fatty foods with all the precautions available today. But it takes discipline to live a life with less cholesterol consumption.

About the Author:

For tips on cholesterol ratio and low cholesterol foods, visit the Cholesterol Guidelines website.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Understanding What is Bad Cholesterol

Bad Cholesterol

The Truth About Bad Cholesterol

Author: Gloria Gangi

Did you know that your body actually needs cholesterol. You wouldn't think it with all the bad press that it actually gets. The truth is that there are two types of cholesterol in your body, good cholesterol also known as HDL cholesterol, and bad cholesterol or LDL cholesterol. Cholesterol in your body is necessary to make hormones, vitamin D and bile salts.


The bad cholesterol is the one you need to watch out for as it can cause you lots of problems. LDL cholesterol dumps cholesterol onto the walls of your arteries that will create a plaque. This plaque builds up narrowing and blocking your arteries, this causes a reduction in blood flow which is bad news for the heart.


What Raises Cholesterol?


Do you find that there are many confusing terms being thrown around when it comes to cholesterol. Dietary cholesterol is one of those terms. You might think that all dietary cholesterol is bad, but in fact dietary cholesterol does not raise blood cholesterol as much as you might think. The two culprits are the trans fatty acids and saturated fats.


So what do you need to do to reduce your levels of bad cholesterol? The most effective way is to change your diet. You will need to cut down in foods which contains the bad cholesterol such as meat, dairy, eggs and seafood and look at the foods that can reduce your LDL levels


You don't need to cut out all the nice food in your diet but you need to make modifications. Trans fatty acids are found in a lot of packaged food. Microwave popcorn, hard stick margarine and some French fries from certain fast food chains are all culprits. By removing these foods and finding better substitutes you can reduce the consumption of trans fatty acids that will all contribute to the level of bad cholesterol in your system.


Upping Good Fats


By increasing the amount of good cholesterol in your body you can reduce the bad cholesterol. This is because the presence of good cholesterol in your body means that excess cholesterol will be taken back to the liver to be excreted out of your body. This means you want plenty of good cholesterol as high levels of good cholesterol means a reduced risk of heart disease.


Remember though that you need to make changes in your lifestyle, these changes are eating more food which are rich in soluble fiber and monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats they will help to increase good cholesterol levels. Restrict alcohol consumption to one glass a day for women and two a day for men is also a good idea. By increasing the amount of exercise in your daily life can also decrease cholesterol levels.

About the Author:

For more articles on how to manager your cholesterol please visit: http://www.yourcholesteroldiet.com

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - The Truth About Bad Cholesterol

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Tips to Lower Bad Cholesterol

Food Tips To Lower Bad Cholesterol

Author: Ashish Jain

LDL or bad cholesterol in excess amount can lead to worst consequences. With excess of LDL in blood you are very much susceptible to coronary artery diseases. This low density lipoproteion when gets deposited in blood in surplus amount starts forming plaque that can either block the arteries or can result in narrowed arteries. And best way to keep level of LDL in control is to opt for LDL free diet or food that lowers LDL content.



LDL cholesterol could be kept well under control if you happen to consume LDL free foods. For a normal people desired level of LDL cholesterol should be not more than one thirty or one forty mg per dL. For that you should chalk out a dietary strategy in consultation with your health care provider that would usually be based on consumption of foods that are either free of LDL or bring reduction in LDL content.



Unsaturated fat products if consumed in plenty won't add too much to cholesterol and LDL content would automatically get reduced. Instead of whole milk you can go for skimmed milk. Similarly you can go for fat free cheese and other fat free milk products. These products would bring considerable reduction in bad cholesterol.



You should substitute foods with high fat content by foods with low food content, it is a very natural way of curbing high level of LDL. For example butter has a perfect substitute in Margarine that is derived from whales.



If you happen to be afflicted with great surge in LDL, you can devour foods rich in Niacin. Niacin is an active LDL reducing agent. You must increase consumption fiber products and green vegetables. With an increased intake of fiber, you are likely to reduce bad cholesterol. You should particularly focus on soluble fibers.



Products that help bring a surge in HDL cholesterol could be consumed as it would have an adverse effect on LDL. Intake of fruits and whole grains could be increased for the same reason. Products rich in vitamin A and E could also contribute to LDL reduction. Fish must be incorporated in your diet as it contains Omega 3 fatty acid that considerably reduces Low density Lipoprotein.



Barley, cereals, oats and lot of complex carbohydrates could be added to your diet. You should also consume lipid free oils such as Canola and Olive oil.



If you could stick to these food items, you are sure to lower LDL.

About the Author:
The author writes about a number of different topics. For more information on cholesterol visit http://www.urcholesterol.com/ and also visit the article pages: http://www.urcholesterol.com/reduce-cholesterol/ and http://www.urcholesterol.com/cholestrol-and-diet/

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/advice-articles/food-tips-to-lower-bad-cholesterol-85960.html

Friday, April 10, 2009

Cholesterol and Peanut Butter

Low Cholesterol Foods, Revealing Great News About Good Old Peanut Butter And Trans Fats

Author: Wycliffe Williams

Low cholesterol foods are still in abundance. The recent ban in New York City restaurants has awakened many people to the dangers of trans fats. Unfortunately, it has also caused a great deal of confusion.



According to the National Peanut Board, trans fat levels in both commercially prepared and natural peanut butters are undetectable. Put another way, research indicates that you can eat 156 peanut butter sandwiches without consuming even 0.5 grams of trans fat.



Neither peanut butter, peanuts or peanut oil are an issue for restaurants in New York. Chuck Hunt, vice president of the New York City Chapter of the New York State Restaurant Association has said that peanut butter alternatives are good alternatives.



Confusion exists over peanut butter because conventional science says that products made with a partially hydrogenated oil stabilizer, will contain trace amounts of trans fat. A recent study has shown that peanut butter is one of the low cholesterol foods that are made with very little hydrogenated oil. Resulting in no detectable amounts of trans fat in the finished product.



These same studies indicate that all hydrogenated oil is not the same. You cannot generalize about all products that contain hydrogenated oil. Peanut butter provides a variety of healthful benefits for children and adults. It is one of the few foods that can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Peanut butter also adds nutritional value when included as part of a balanced diet.



Peanuts and peanut butter contain more than 30 essential nutrients and phytonutrients, including vitamin E. A two tablespoon serving of peanut butter contains 12.2 grams of unsaturated and poly unsaturated fat and 3.3 grams of saturated fat. Moreover, low cholesterol foods like peanut butter, can brag that it contains zero cholesterol. Besides all of that information, it is fun to eat and tastes delicious as well.



We all realize that trans fats are very dangerous. According to the American Heart Association, trans fats cause a lowering of good cholesterol and an increase in bad cholesterol.



This action on your system increases the risk of developing heart disease and stroke. In 2006 the FDA began requiring food companies to list trans fat content separately on the Nutrition facts panel of all packaged foods.



Certain food activists are challenging the FDA policy that says that if the serving contains less than 0.5 grams of trans fat, it can be expressed as zero on the package. Their argument centers around the fact that a person who consumes multiple servings throughout the day of products labeled as having 0 trans fats could in fact, surpass recommended levels.



Trans fat zero foods tend to add up. Experts say manufacturers should have to list even traces of the substance. For peanut butter though, manufacturers are trying to increase consumer demand by promoting the great taste, nutrition, and culinary versatility of peanuts.

About the Author:

Low cholesterol foods can be safely included in your daily balanced diet. Would you like to learn about other great foods that help lower your cholesterol? Follow this link to learn so much more: low cholesterol foods

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/low-cholesterol-foods-revealing-great-news-about-good-old-peanut-butter-and-trans-fats-98348.html

Bad Cholesterol

Foods to Reduce Bad Cholesterol

Author: Andrew Bicknell

If you have high cholesterol you have little choice but to try and lower it. Choosing not to do so drastically increases your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke; three medical conditions that can have a major impact on the long term outlook of your life. Fortunately getting your levels under control can be as easy as making dietary changes and eating foods to reduce bad cholesterol.

Diet is always a good place to start with just about any ailment or condition, but when it comes to lowering cholesterol the food you eat can have a large impact on how successful your attempt will be. In the end it comes down to eating healthy by following these eight steps.

1. Seafood and Omega-3s – Omega-3 fatty acids are sorely missing in our modern diet and have been shown to help lower "bad" LDL cholesterol levels while raising "good" HDL cholesterol levels. Omega-3s are found primarily in seafood with salmon being one of the best sources. You can also find it in flax seed and in supplement form.

2. Cut the Desert – If you just can't go without eat them in moderation and choose healthier alternatives. Graham crackers, fat free frozen yogurt, and angle food cake are good cholesterol reducing choices.

3. Fiber – Is your friend. Foods that are high in fiber such as oatmeal, vegetables, beans, fruits, wheat bread, and high fiber cereals are all good choices.

4. Fruits and Vegetables – In addition to adding fiber to your diet fruits and vegetables contain no cholesterol.

5. Fried and Fast Foods – These should be avoided as much as possible. Because of their high saturated and trans-fat content these foods are nothing more then cholesterol time bombs.

6. Salad Dressing – Everyone knows that a nice salad is a healthy part of any meal. That is until you dump a bunch of high fat salad dressing on it. Read your labels carefully and select those dressings that are low in fat and cholesterol.

7. Grill or Broil your Meat – You should only eat lean cuts of meat and when you prepare them grill them on the barbecue or broil them. Cooking in this manner reduces the amount of fat in the meat and allows you to enjoy delicious meals.

8. What About Lunch – It is possible to have a healthy sandwich. Use whole wheat bread, lean turkey or chicken, and veggies. Stick to low fat cheeses and mayo or use mustard instead for a healthy delicious lunch.

The thing you will notice with these food to reduce bad cholesterol is that you are not forced to eat a bland diet. It may not be quite what you are used to but with a little time and recipe research you will soon find you don't miss all those un-healthy foods in the first place.

About the Author:

To learn more about low Cholesterol food please visit the website Lowering Cholesterol by clicking here

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/foods-to-reduce-bad-cholesterol-628104.html


Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Food and Cholesterol

Cholesterol Food - Keeping Cholesterol Under Control

Author: Shelby Ryan

Like most of us, if you are interested in keeping your cholesterol under control, understanding what types of cholesterol food you should avoid isn't a bad idea. Of course, proper exercise and the know how to implement a proper diet to help reduce the amount of cholesterol in your diet are also important.



Cholesterol continues to be a big problem in the fight to maintain proper health but it doesn't have to be. By simply educating oneself on cholesterol foods one can go a long way to keeping cholesterol under control but the problems lies in the fact that most people simply don't understand cholesterol food and therefore they can't make the necessary changes in their life style that will result in positive changes in their bodies.



A good start is to begin with the basics - an understanding of cholesterol within the context of cholesterol food. Cholesterol has a relationship with our bodies that is in part both good and bad. The good part is that cholesterol helps the body to digest dietary fats, produce hormones and generate cell walls. All are integral in our development and growth throughout our lives, so a certain amount of cholesterol is obviously going to be important. Therefore, totally cutting out cholesterol food, like some diets suggest, is never going to be the answer in the pursuit of optimal health.



Moderation - Moderation - Moderation

As in all things, moderation is the answer. Integrate moderation into the consumption of cholesterol food and the best diet, according to all nutritional experts, is a balanced diet with a wide variety of foods, eaten in moderation - problems always arise out of excess.



While cholesterol is not harmful in and of itself because it assists the body with the metabolic factors mentioned above, excessive cholesterol can lead to problems with circulation, cause heart attacks and strokes. Once again, problems arise because people don't understand the proper balance of foods and not having the will power to say enough is enough. For this reason, knowing your body's limits and balances is an integral part of any serious weight loss and health initiative plan.



Today, nutritionists are better informed about the risks associated with too much of what can be a good thing in moderation - cholesterol food, so they are able to help us plan and implement the proper diet and lifestyle changes we need to make a difference in our health over the long term.



In summary, find a nutritionist you believe in and commit yourself to making the recommended diet and exercise changes and over time, you'll look and feel like a new you - both inside and out.



Tip - For more information on cholesterol, click on the first link below.

About the Author:
Visit lowering cholesterol or reduce cholesterol or levels cholesterol for more information on cholesterol.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/cholesterol-food-keeping-cholesterol-under-control-104193.html

Cholesterol Causing Foods

High Cholesterol Foods To Avoid

Author: Andrew Bicknell

For those who suffer from high cholesterol the best and first way to control and lower their cholesterol levels is through their diet. But many people are confused as to what constitutes a high cholesterol food they need to avoid and a low cholesterol food. This is because there is a difference between dietary cholesterol and blood cholesterol.

Generally most health guidelines recommend that dietary cholesterol not exceed 300 mg per day for most healthy people, but if one suffers from high LDL blood cholesterol levels then this intake should be not more than 200 mg per day.

Cholesterol, a waxy like substance, is only found in animal meat and tissues and its sources include red meat, eggs, fish, poultry, and dairy products. On the flip side any food derived from plant sources is cholesterol free, including high fat plants food sources such as avocado\'s and peanut butter. This is where the confusion usually happens because eating large amounts of vegetable oil, which is virtually 100% food fat, can significantly raise blood cholesterol levels, particularly when eaten with high cholesterol foods.

The fact is that blood LDL cholesterol levels are highly influenced by the amount of saturated fat that one eats. There is a relationship between the amounts of saturated fat one eats the LDL cholesterol levels in the blood. For every one percent increase in calories obtained by eating saturated fat, blood cholesterol levels go up around two percent. Conversely for every one percent decrease in saturated fat intake cholesterol levels will reduce about two percent.

The thing to remember when it comes avoiding high cholesterol foods is that while doing so will decrease LDL cholesterol levels, reducing saturated fat intake has a bigger impact on these levels then many people are aware of. This does not mean that those who suffer from high cholesterol can eat high cholesterol foods, but they should be aware that there is more to reducing cholesterol then just this one thing.

The reason for this confusion with the way cholesterol can increase in the blood stream is the way many foods are cooked and/or served. Let\'s look at one of everyone\'s favorite breakfasts; bacon/sausage and eggs. We all know that eggs are high in cholesterol, but what we don\'t know is that the cholesterol in eggs has a small impact on blood cholesterol levels. It\'s the high amount of saturated fat in the bacon or sausage that has a far larger impact on LDL cholesterol levels.

Another culprit is deep fat fried foods. Many foods are for the most part harmless until they are breaded and fried in hot oil. In fact, many fish and seafood choices are considered to be good for us because of the omega-3 fatty acids that they contain, but as soon as they are deep fried and eaten any benefits are cancelled by the saturated fat that raises bad LDL cholesterol.

When it comes to high cholesterol foods to avoid it is important to remember that these types of food aren\'t necessarily bad in and of themselves if eaten in moderation. The real problem occurs when they are combined with high levels of saturated fat, which has a more profound effect on blood cholesterol levels.

About the Author:

To learn more about Low Cholesterol Food please visit the website Lowering Cholesterol by clicking here.

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Cholesterol in Foods

Cholesterol High Foods and Heart Disease

Author: Andrew Bicknell

If there is one word that is associated with potentially life threatening health issues it is cholesterol. There are numerous TV and print advertisements espousing the benefits of the latest cholesterol reducing drug and for good reasons. High levels of this naturally occurring substance are associated with increased risks of heart disease and stroke. Knowing this has caused many people to avoid cholesterol high foods in their attempt to mitigate the harmful effects it can cause.

But just what is cholesterol and where does it come from?

Cholesterol, unbeknownst to many, is actually produced by the body, mostly in the liver, and is necessary for proper bodily functioning. In fact roughly 80% is made by the body with the other 20% coming from dietary sources. Or at least that’s the way it used to be. With our more "fast food" dietary lifestyle cholesterol has become a major health care issue.

Without cholesterol our bodies would be unable to function properly. It is primarily used to make cell membranes and makes them stable and durable. It is particularly important in the formation of nerve tissue, brain cells, and the spinal cord. It is also used to make bile which is an important part of the digestive process in the absorption of fat soluble vitamins such as A, D, E, and K. And certain hormones would not be able to be made without it.

Unfortunately our modern diet has given us to much of a good thing. While high cholesterol foods such as meat, eggs, and whole fat dairy products should be eaten in moderation it is the preponderance of foods high in saturated fats and Transfats that are the bigger culprits. Fried foods, snack foods, processed foods in a box, and just about anything containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oils all fall into this category.

In fact scientific studies have shown that foods high in these types of fat have a greater impact in blood cholesterol levels then eating just foods that are high in cholesterol. This does not mean that eating a diet of high cholesterol foods is a good idea but it is more important that you avoid the saturated fat and Transfats that are so common in our diet these days.

As cholesterol levels build up in the blood stream they get to the point where the body cannot use all of it. When this happens it will start to deposit along the arterial walls creating plaques and causing atherosclerosis, which is a hardening and narrowing of the arteries. These plaques can cause blockages in blood flow which can lead to a heart attack or they can break free as a clot and get lodged in the smaller vessels of the brain causing a stroke.

Maintaining normal cholesterol levels through a healthy diet and lifestyle that includes exercise is the best way to prevent these risks. Just remember that cholesterol is a necessary substance we all need but it is important to eat cholesterol high foods in moderation and avoid those foods that are in high saturated fats and Transfats to avoid the risk of heart disease.

About the Author:

If high cholesterol is affecting your health and you want to do something about it but aren't sure where to start please visit the website Lowering Cholesterol by Clicking Here.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/cholesterol-high-foods-and-heart-disease-659865.html

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Cholesterol Food Guide

So you have been diagnosed with high cholesterol. First you want a list of high cholesterol foods to avoid. The natural thing we do all do is think "Great I will avoid these foods." The answer to high cholesterol is not that simple.

High cholesterol foods have two main components. They contain saturated fats and cholesterol. Ironically the problem with these foods is the saturated fat component and believe it or not the cholesterol content is not the main problem. The saturated fat causes the liver to produce more cholesterol. An increase in ldl levels of cholesterol causes hardening of the arteries. In addition, the level of your triglycerides also increases.

Since the key factor to high cholesterol foods is fat; you now need to distinguish between bad fat and good fat. Cholesterol is present in seafood, but the polyunsaturated fat it contains causes the liver to produce less ldl cholesterol and more hdl cholesterol. The good fat counter balances out the cholesterol content. Cholesterol levels are greatly affected by the type of fat you eat. Replace saturated fat and hydrogenated fat with polyunsaturated and mono saturated fats.

Foods you should be eating to lower your cholesterol: -lean cut meat -poultry with no skin -no cake, cookies, or donuts -no chips -no fast foods -no hydrogenated fat -low fat or skim dairy product. You should cook with olive oil or canola oil. Do not use butter. The following foods contain no cholesterol: -vegetables -fruits grains -nuts -seeds -vegetable oil.

Unfortunately for most of us diet alone will not solve your high cholesterol problems. You need to exercise, loose weight, and stop smoking. Prescription drugs may be required, if a life style change does not lower your cholesterol to where it needs to be. Any approach that you decide to take should be done under a doctor's supervision.

A List of High Cholesterol Foods

What Are High Cholesterol?

Author: Penny Albright

It should not come as a big surprise that the foods we love are very high in cholesterol. However, given that there is good and bad cholesterol, it is important to distinguish between the two. So as HDL is good and LDL is bad, it is very important to avoid or at least try to eat foods that are low in LDL cholesterol because too much can cause heart disease.



If you are reading this article, you have probably been told by your doctor or have personally decided to reduce your cholesterol levels. So, what are the high cholesterol foods that you should omit from your diet?



Firstly, there are two main ingredients that will raise your cholesterol levels:



Saturated fat - found in most animal products



LDL cholesterol - found in most animal products



Some sources of fat and bad cholesterol that are considered high cholesterol foods can include:



Meats



Nuts



Dairy foods



However, not all of them are bad. This is why it is important to monitor the saturated fat content in foods because the more there is, the harder the liver has to work to detoxify the body. Also, subsequent LDL cholesterol from bad fats will create plaque inside arteries, veins, and capillaries which can result in serious, if not deadly, cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks.



The following is a list of high cholesterol foods. They are listed according to food type, serving size, and cholesterol levels. If at all possible, try to eat something else, or choose lower fat versions of them:



Food Serving Size Cholesterol Level



Beef, kidney 3.5oz 375 mg



Beef, liver 3.5oz 300 mg



Beefsteak 3.5oz 70 mg



Boiled egg 1 225 mg



Butter 3.5oz 250 mg



Cheddar cheese 1oz 19 mg



Chicken 3.5oz 60 mg



Cream cheese 1oz 27 mg



Ice Cream 3.5oz 45 mg



Lamb 3.5oz 70 mg



Sponge cake 3.5oz 260 mg



Dietary Changes



This section will give you information on how to reduce cholesterol by changing your diet.



Many people suffer with high cholesterol because of the type of diet they follow. Eating foods which are high in saturated fat can cause high cholesterol. Our bodies need a certain amount of fat to function properly but we need to be careful what kind of fat we consume. The saturated fats that are found in meat products, whole fat milk, cheese and butter are the bad fats, as are trans fats or hydrogenated fats which are found in commercially produced cakes, cookies, pastries, fast food, coconut oil and palm oil.



It is good to know how to reduce cholesterol by simply changing the type of fat that you consume. Cut down on foods containing saturated fat or replace them with foods containing good fats like mono-unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.



Mono-unsaturated fats are found in oils like rapeseed oil and olive oil and some nuts. Polyunsaturated fats are found in oily fish such as salmon, sardines, herrings and mackerel, and also some spreads. These types of fats are actually good for our hearts and cholesterol levels.



How to reduce cholesterol by changing your habits:-



- Stop using butter on your bread or in baking and instead use polyunsaturated spreads or olive oil.



- Fry foods with olive oil or avoid frying and grill, microwave or steam foods.



- Trim fat off meat or use lean cuts.



- Replace meat with soya products or cook more vegetarian meals.



- Buy low fat versions of your normal foods.



- Replace snacks like cakes and cookies with fruit and vegetable based snacks.



- Eat oily fish two or three times a week.



It is important to have no more than 200mg or less of cholesterol per day. The rest of any healthy diet should include fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes (peas, beans, lentils, etc.), whole grains and either 2% or no-fat milk. The American Heart Association recommends a calorie controlled version of the 'Mediterranean Diet'. This can be found in pyramid for through their website.

About the Author:
What are high cholesterol foods? Webmaster of mecholestrol.com Penny Albright is providing her viewers with facts and solutions, how to reduce high cholesterol. Simply by memorizing the list of high cholesterol food and avoid dangerous fat levels, you will notice a difference.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/what-are-high-cholesterol-465938.html