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 Foods to Stay Away From

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.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/high-cholesterol-foods-to-avoid-773196.html