Live Better – Live Longer – Live Happier

A Diet To Lower Cholesterol Without Sacrificing Taste

Webmaster | June 23, 2011 | no comments

A diet to lower cholesterol can seem like bad news–especially if you love rich foods!

If your physician has suggested this course to you, you may be wondering how you can adopt heart-healthy dietary habits, without sacrificing taste.

While diet comprises a relatively small part of the cholesterol the body manufactures, adopting a diet for lowering cholesterol is a first step, when seeking to reduce levels that could prove potentially dangerous.

By changing your eating habits, you can safeguard your health. A diet to lower cholesterol–one that is low in saturated fat and low in cholesterol–can reduce blood levels, which, if left unchecked, could contribute to heart disease or future heart attacks.

Saturated fat is known to raise blood cholesterol levels. It is found in fatty meats such as sausages and bologna, in salami and hot dogs. Butter, cream, cheese, and ice cream are also contenders. Other saturated fats (such as coconut oil, cocoa butter, palm kernel oil, and palm oil) may be lurking in commercially prepared foods, in crackers, in cookies, or in cake mixes, in nondairy whipped toppings and coffee creamers. Favorite snack foods such as chips and candy bars contain saturated fats. A diet for lowering cholesterol includes reducing consumption of these foods.

Even if a food is low in fat, it may be high in cholesterol. Eggs yolks contain cholesterol, as do liver or organ meats. A diet to lower cholesterol means changing the selection of foods you eat.

Broiling, grilling, roasting, steaming, poaching, or baking your food can reduce undesirable fat. Stir-frying is popular because it retains vitamins, color and crispness. A stir-fry can include tasty seeds and nuts, colorful vegetables, and fresh herbs for flavor. Many people who have switched to a diet for lowering cholesterol have discovered how easy and enjoyable meals can be using this method of preparation.

Tofu is low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Marinated tofu can add taste to a stir-fry or can be used as a hamburger substitute. Not surprisingly, marinated tofu burgers are on many a restaurant menu. Tofu can be marinated in a nonfat dressing or a tangy sauce and will absorb these flavors.

Increasing your consumption of foods that are high in fiber can help when undertaking a diet to lower cholesterol. Dried peas and beans are a good choice, as are oats, oranges, and pears.

If you love fish, you can take heart, because most fish is lower in saturated fat and cholesterol. Consuming it can be a good part of a diet for lowering cholesterol. Shellfish is low in saturated fat.

In addition to a diet to lower cholesterol, your doctor may also suggest use of a class of drugs known as statins. Evidence is mounting, though, that using statin drugs poses grave risks. People taking statin drugs have suffered heart failure, have undergone severe pain and muscle weakness, or have experienced erectile dysfunction. Lethargy, loss of memory, and cognitive impairment have also been noted. More frightening still, these drugs can cause cancer in laboratory animals.

Fortunately, safe and effective alternatives are available. Clinically proven plant-derived substances can be used as an adjunct to a diet for lowering cholesterol levels. What do these natural formulas contain and how do they work to lower cholesterol in the body?

D-limonene is a natural compound in orange peel oil. It reduces cholesterol and dissolves gallstones. Policosanol is an exciting potent substance derived from sugar cane and beeswax. It decreases total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and increases high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Lecithin oil renders an inhibitory effect on absorption of cholesterol. Oryzanol rice bran oil contains important constituents that reduce total cholesterol and triglycerides. Beta-sitosterol inhibits intestinal absorption of cholesterol, while reducing blood levels.

A natural substance containing these ingredients can reduce production of cholesterol in your body and in the gut, decreasing circulating blood fats and dissolving cholesterol particles, preventing it from hardening in your arteries and increasing excretion.

By undertaking a diet to lower cholesterol, as well as using a safe, natural formula, you can achieve desired results without unwanted and potentially risky side effects. Bio-scientific research has offered effective natural remedies that protect and guard your health.

Article by Athlyn Green

About the Author : Athlyn Green is an avid health enthusiast with an interest in natural remedies for treatment of health disorders. She has contributed to Diet To Lower Cholesterol, a section of http://www.healthy-cholesterol-guide.com dedicated to natural treatments for high cholesterol.