There are foods high in cholesterol that should be avoided to control if not decrease cholesterol levels in the body. Having high cholesterol levels can lead to many dangerous chronic illnesses like hypertension, heart problems, cardiac arrest and even stroke. Making an effort to eat the right foods to reduce cholesterol levels is a start staying healthy and feeling healthy as well.

Here is a list of the top ten high cholesterol foods to avoid. Hopefully this list may be of help in making your next low cholesterol meal for you and your family.

#10. Processed meats like sausages, hams, etc. contain varied amounts of cholesterol depending on the cut of meat used and the amount of chemicals and fat added to process the meats to improve or preserve its taste. The processed meats with the most amount of cholesterol are liver sausages and bratwurst. Bratwurst has around 158mg of cholesterol per 100g.

#9. Shellfish like mussels, clams and oysters are considered high cholesterol foods to avoid. Anoyster, especially the Wild Eastern Oyster variety, contains the highest levels with 105 mg per ounce or approximately 7 mg per oyster.

#8. Cheese may be a food rich in calcium, but it has the most cholesterol as well. A type of cheese called the Port de Salut has the most cholesterol with 123 mg per 100 g of serving. Other cheeses that have high cholesterol levels are cheddar cheese, cream cheese, Fontina, Gruyere and Gouda.

#7. Fast food that we eat during breakfast and snacks are also packed with cholesterol and must be completely avoided or at least reduced from the diet. Foods like ham, bacon and cheese are just some of the examples of unhealthy breakfast foods that are high in cholesterol.

#6. Tinned fish also have high amounts cholesterol and thus must be eaten in limited quantity. Although good for the heart, fish packed in oil like the Atlantic sardines have 142 mg of cholesterol per 100 mg.

#5. Butter which is a common ingredient in cakes, breads and pastries is rich in cholesterol. A single stick of butter has more than 243 mg of cholesterol while a 100 g of butter contains 215 mg.

#4. Animal liver contains high levels of cholesterol since cholesterol is manufactured in this organ. A serving of a 100 g of liver from any type of animal will contain about 564 mg of cholesterol!

#3. Shrimp is another food that is rich in cholesterol and thus must be eaten in limited amounts. A 100 g of shrimp has about 195 mg of cholesterol. It is essential to limit foods with shrimp like soups and sauces that may also increase cholesterol levels as well.

#2. A food for the rich and famous, caviar, is certainly something that most of us should avoid. A single tablespoon of caviar has 94 mg of cholesterol.

#1. The winner of the food with the highest cholesterol level is the egg yolk. A single egg yolk has 210 mg of cholesterol as compared to eating an entire egg which will give you 212 mg. It is evident that most of the cholesterol is found in the yolk of an egg.

In order to lower the levels of cholesterol, it is best to frequently prepare your own meals using recipes that help lower cholesterol. This is due to the fact that many restaurants include salt and fat in their foods to inexpensively add taste and texture. Fast foods and junk foods are known for providing poor nutrition and loads of salt, sugar and fat.

Here are some helpful ideas on how to prepare recipes that can lower the levels of cholesterol:

• If you are too busy or tired to make a regular meal, making a sandwich and a salad will only take a few minutes to prepare. All you need to do is wrap a mixture of vegetables in a tortilla, slice some vegetables for your salad and sprinkle it with lemon juice and olive oil. Make sure to use a salt-free salsa or mashed avocado as your dressing for your sandwich. You can also prepare stir-fried vegetables or soup for your healthy dinner.

• Always have fresh fruits and vegetables on hand and avoid buying convenience foods such as processed, junk food or fast food.

• Buy fresh ingredients. Aside from the fact that fresh fruits and vegetables are a lot healthier, fresh ingredients are known to be more delectable on their own, so you do not need to add salt and fat when cooking.

• Choose recipes that are cholesterol-friendly and low in fat, and make sure to cook them. You can find these recipes in different cookbooks at your local library, at the bookstore or even on the internet. Make sure to explore recipes in cookbooks that include Japanese, Chinese, Vegan, Indian and raw food recipes since these are usually healthy and give sufficient variety to keep you satisfied with your healthy and low-fat diet.

• Fresh herbs should always be included in your grocery list. Instead of using salt, use these herbs to enhance the flavor of a dish. If ever there is a need to use salt, make sure to use just a pinch of sea salt.

• If you cannot give up some of your favorite recipes, it is best to substitute the ingredients for healthier choices. Instead of butter, use olive oil. Instead of the usual salt, use products that are low in fat.

Recipes that Help Lower Cholesterol

Salads

1. Chop your favorite green vegetables such as zucchini, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, herbs, etc.
2. Garnish with nuts.
3. Prepare the dressing with different herbs such as thyme or basil.
4. Add a bit of lemon juice or your preferred low-fat dressing.
5. Avoid including bacon bits, croutons and whole milk products including eggs and cheese.

Grilled meals

1. Brush lean meats and vegetables with herbs and lemon juice before grilling. Make sure to avoid adding anything with high fat or salt.

Snacks and desserts

1. Fresh fruits are always the best option when it comes to healthy snacks.
2. Opt for snacks and desserts that are low in fat such as fruit bars, angel food cake, fruit sherbet and crackers. However, make sure to eat in moderation since these snacks usually contain some fats, sodium and calories.

Cooking your own meals is not really hard to accomplish, even for people who do not know their way around their kitchens. Fortunately, you can find a lot of recipes that help lower cholesterol, and most of these are easy and fast to prepare, so you can make delicious and healthy meals even with a busy schedule.

Having a low cholesterol diet plan is essential in lowering high cholesterol levels, and high cholesterol is one of the major causes of coronary heart disease. Your diet plan will be especially effective in lowering your cholesterol levels and keep them in check when combined with cholesterol supplements.

Stay away from saturated fat

It is a given fact that saturated fat is considered to be bad fat. It increases the bad cholesterol (LDL) in the body. Typically, saturated fat is found in full cream butter and dairy products and fatty slices of meat. The following are ways to lessen your consumption of saturated fat:

• Make sure to always go for leaner meats such as tenderloins.
• If you want to eat red meat, do it no more than three times a week.
• Before cooking, remove all the skin and fat from the poultry or meat.
• Instead of butter, go for canola spread or any vegetable spread.
• Always use skim milk, low-fat milk or reduced-fat milk.
• Use fat-free dressings for your salad.
• Limit your consumption of fried foods to no more than once a week.

Include good fats in your low cholesterol diet plan

In order to lower the levels of TG and LDL in your body, it is recommended to add good fats (monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats) into your diet. Also, perform some cardiovascular exercises.

You can do the following in order to include good fats in your regular diet:

• Use canola oil or olive oil in cooking.
• For your snack, it is best to opt for a handful of raw nuts.
• Include oily fish in your meals two or three times a week and take an omega-3 supplement everyday.
• Instead of butter, use sesame spread or almond spread (any kind of nut spread) in your salad and pasta.
• Add sunflower seeds, flaxseeds or pumpkin seeds to your salads and cereals.

Stay away from trans fat

Trans fats are known as ‘modified’ oils and are used to enhance the mouth feel and the texture of processed foods. Frying at very high temperatures can also convert oil into trans fat. Consuming trans fat is known to be dangerous because it increases the bad cholesterol and reduces the good cholesterol in the body.

Basically, trans fat is found in most processed foods as well as food items that are fried at very high temperatures.

Make sure to read the food labels when shopping. Pay attention to those that have hydrogenated oils, vegetable shortening and partially hydrogenated oils. These mean they contain trans fat. You do not have to completely eliminate trans fat in your daily diet, just make sure to opt for foods that are free or low in trans fat.

Add more fiber into your diet

Keep in mind that dietary fiber can have a significant amount of health benefits for your body. It helps regulate the blood sugars, improve bowel health, reduce the levels of cholesterol and keep a healthy weight.

Insoluble fiber is usually found in vegetables and whole grains. This adds bulk to the stools, which helps in improving bowel movements. In addition, it increases the discharge of bile juice and bile salt. On the other hand, soluble fiber is mostly found in lentils, oats, nuts, fruits and seeds. By having a diet that is high in soluble fiber, you can obstruct the process of cholesterol absorption in the body by up to twenty percent.

Keep in mind that high levels of cholesterol can be treated and prevented. Just start with a low cholesterol diet plan, and you will be able to improve your cholesterol levels as well as your overall health.

High cholesterol levels can lead to many types of illnesses, especially diseases of the cardiovascular system like hypertension, heart disease and stroke. Cholesterol, fat or plaque can clog small arteries restricting blood flow to organs causing an increase in blood pressure. Plaque can dislodge and journey to a major organ like the heart, causing cardiac arrest, or it can travel to the small blood vessels of the brain causing a stroke.

Cholesterol generally comes from two possible sources. It comes from the fat we eat such as in animal products like meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products, and it can come from our own bodies when we eat food rich in trans fats. This type of fat causes the body to create unhealthy cholesterol.

It is essential that anyone with a high risk of developing heart disease follows a low cholesterol diet. A diet with low cholesterol means:

• A diet with low fat percentage.

• A diet with complex carbohydrates that can help eliminate the bad cholesterol in the body. Foods rich in complex carbohydrates are whole grains and bread from white flour that contain fiber.

• A diet that is lower in saturated fat like food with margarine and vegetable shortening. Cook foods instead with unsaturated fats or monosaturated fats like olive oil or canola oil.

Any medication to decrease cholesterol in the body must be accompanied by a diet low in cholesterol to be able to work. A physician generally prescribes a diet with low cholesterol for at least 6 months to be able to reduce cholesterol levels and live healthier. A diet with low cholesterol may also be a step to achieve an ideal weight. Here are some more ways to incorporate a low cholesterol diet into your daily meal plan.

• Eat more fruits and vegetables that contain vitamins and minerals. They are also great sources for dietary fiber. Fiber acts like small brooms cleaning the body of harmful toxins and decreases cholesterol in the process. Natural chemicals from plants are found in fruits and vegetables like phytosterols and polyphenols that can contribute to a decrease in cholesterol levels. Eat a slice of fruit or a bowl of your favorite berries with every meal or have a vegetable salad.

• Avoid foods with trans fat. Some brands of food have made it easy for consumers by listing the ingredients and what they contain on the food label. Anything that says partially hydrogenated is another word for trans fat and must be completely avoided.

• Eat more whole wheat and whole grains like oats, cereals and breads that contain fiber to help eliminate bad cholesterol.

• Meats must be lean without any visible traces of fat like fish, chicken and turkey. To follow a low cholesterol diet, try a turkey burger instead of a beef patty the next time you would like a hamburger.

What is the Diet Solution Program?

The Diet Solution Program is created by a good fitness trainer and nutritionist named Isabel De Los Rios. The Diet Solution Program is a dietary program based specifically on understanding and determining your body’s metabolic type and calorie intake in order to properly calculate the right amount of protein, carbohydrate, and fat in your daily meals. Eliminating the dietary food that does not suite your metabolic type will allow you to lose weight. The Diet Solution Program likewise claims to regulate blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels, and it claims it will enhance other health related issues and increase your energy levels.

The Diet Solution Program by Isabel De Los Rios is not a fad diet like some dietary programs today. It is a great nutritional program that focuses on long term benefits. It is not a one size fits all diet plan. It offers a personalized meal plan based on an individual’s metabolic type. The program emphasizes and focuses on nutrient rich and healthy food in order to lose weight and have a healthy lifestyle and well-being.

In order to determine your metabolic type, there will be a series of questions that you should answer first and then calculate your calorie intake goal. After that, there‘s a 6-week meal plan that you have to follow that outlines a variety of food choices for each snack and meal. The meal plans are personalized to your metabolic type, and you can add more carbohydrates or proteins to suit your metabolic type. If you found out your metabolic type is mixed then your meal plan needs no more modification. Despite what your metabolic type is, the program encourages you to consume 3 main meals and 2 snacks, as well as taking omega-3 supplement.

The meal plans for the program provides guidelines on the correct portion sizes for your food choices, and people who are on a diet are advised to keep track and have a record of their everyday food intake. The whole dietary program includes a quick start guide, recipes, daily meal plans, shopping lists, FAQs, and a tracking journal.

How much weight can I lose on The Diet Solution Program?

All the weight you want to lose! You can achieve your ideal weight when you follow the nutritional principles taught in this manual.

You will see and feel the results right away. Most people lose anywhere from 4-8 lbs just in the first week. I know what you’re thinking, some of this weight is water weight, but why are most people holding on to so much water weight to begin with? Because they are eating all the wrong foods. After the first week, weight loss averages 1-2 lbs every week.

Why does this program work (where so many other programs have failed)?

Countless studies and real world results have proven every principle taught in The DSP to be the most effective way to lose weight and prevent disease and negative health conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.

Isabel personally incorporates every principle taught in the Diet Solution Program into her and her family’s daily life. Similarly, countless numbers of her own clients, seminar attendees, fellow health professionals and friends and family have followed these exacts principles and achieved their own weight loss and health success.

Do I have to buy any supplements, pills, or bars and shakes for this program?

No! Pills, supplements, bars or shakes are not necessary for this program to work. In fact, it strongly urges against them, as most supplements do not prove any long term results. The Diet Solution program teaches all of the principles that you must follow before including any supplement into your meal plan. Any supplement, bar or shake will just be a waste of time and money without first following your personalized Diet Solution meal plan.

How will the Diet Solution Program affect my Diabetes?

If you are currently taking prescription medication for your Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes, it is important that you discuss any changes in your daily nutrition with your physician.

Because the Diet Solution Program focuses on natural foods (such as healthy proteins and fibrous fruits & vegetables) and recommends the reduction of most processed grains, you may experience a natural reduction in blood sugar. You must discuss these changes with your physician so that he or she may oversee any necessary changes that need to be made in your current medications.

Many diabetics find it necessary to check their blood sugar more often in the initial stages of The Diet Solution Program.

Conclusion

The Diet Solution program is excellent for individuals who have weight issues and are tired of using diet plans that don’t work. Most of the recommended foods in the program are healthy and taste great. The program is not a quick fix for your weight issues, although it is an effective and easy to follow program that offers more healthy and nutritious food choices compared to other dietary health plans. The Diet Solution is definitely an effective weight loss program that is completely healthy and safe, which is why it comes highly recommended.

Discover Your recipes to lower cholesterol and Health Goals right away with these Simple and Effective Healthy Meal Plans. Try the Diet Solution Program Today!

The Diet Solution Program is a popular and widely recognized dietary weight loss program on the market today. Its weight loss method centers on the principle of metabolic typing. This excellent weight loss program was created by Isabel De Los Rios, a certified nutritionist and owner of New Body which is a nutrition and fitness center based in New Jersey.

What is The Diet Solution Program and what does it include?

The Diet Solution Program begins by answering specific questions that will determine your metabolic type. Each individual has a different metabolic rate. Once established, you will be able to choose which type of diet suites you best in order to lose weight.

Comprehensive dietary meal plans comprise most of the Diet Solution Program, since each individual will have to follow a detailed meal plan that includes more than twenty (20) full days of meals, snacks and recipes for each specific body type. The program clearly focuses on good healthy eating in order to gain a healthy lifestyle and well-being.

The Diet Solution Program teaches the most essential principles for weight loss and disease prevention. Topics included and explained in depth are:

* The #1 health food that is causing everyone to gain weight
* Everything you need to know about Fat…This information is life changing!
* The truth about calories and exactly how to lose weight without ever having to count calories again!
* A specific way to determine your personal metabolism so that you can choose the precise foods that are best for you…No nutrition program can begin without this!
* Should you really be spending your hard earned money on organic food?
* Why you shouldn’t buy another dairy product until you know this!

Also included in the manual to make your new eating plan easy to start and follow are:

* A complete and detailed shopping list that tells you exactly what to buy
* Tons of delicious and quick recipes to cook tasty meals included in your plan.
* Your specific serving sizes already calculated for you
* Detailed meal plans to follow daily.

Every component necessary to start and follow an ideal weight loss and health plan are provided for you, making getting started easy!

What types of food can I expect to be eating while following the Diet Solution Program?

The majority of the foods recommended in the Diet Solution Program are wholesome,
natural foods, such as:

organic eggs
natural meats & poultry
wild fish
fruits & vegetables
raw nuts
natural oils
natural grains

…and all foods Mother Nature intended.

The Diet Solution Program – How Does It Work

Like all great dietary programs that follow a comprehensive system in order to achieve that much needed weight reduction in your body, the Diet Solution Program is no exception. As this excellent dietary program greatly reduces or even prevents the consumption of unhealthy and fat rich junk foods, snacks and meals, it replaces them with more well-balance and healthy foods that are conveniently and easily prepared.

The Diet Solution Program personalizes every meal you consume, assuring that every meal is well balance and in the correct amount in order to lose weight but at the same time keeping fit and healthy. With this excellent program, you can eat real food, and it does not starve yourself compared to other dietary programs that force you to eat low-fat, low carbohydrate, and even bad tasting foods. The overall goal of the Diet Solution Program is healthy eating; it is not a fast track weight loss program. It is more about losing weight and keeping it off in order to have a perfectly trim body and a healthy lifestyle.

Conclusion

The Diet Solution Program is an excellent program in order to lose weight and have a healthy lifestyle and well-being. It’s not a magic dietary plan that you can take to fast track your weight reduction plan. It caters to a longer health oriented program to reduce fat and is backed by numerous success stories and testimonials.

The nutrition plan of the Diet Solution Program is among the healthiest and safest to use out on the market today, which is why it is popular and much sought after by fitness buffs and health conscious aficionados. The excellent program is very well balance, from the nutritious and healthy food diet meals to the exercise and workout elements. Although it does not really work for vegetarians, which is a bit of a let down, nevertheless the Diet Solution Program is still an excellent dietary program for people who want to lose weight and have a fit and healthy lifestyle, and it comes highly recommended.

Try Isabel’s the Diet Solution Program for $1 Today!

Exercise is very healthy for the human body. There is no doubt that regular exercise has many incredible benefits for our health.  Exercise can lower LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and lower triglyceride levels a ton.  Not only that, exercise is one of the best ways in the world to raise HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol).  But it gets even better, when you exercise you improve more than just cholesterol levels, you lower your risk of heart disease, diabetes, some cancers, and even Alzheimer’s disease.  And all while improving your mood and the way you look.  What’s not to love?!

This article will give you medical reasons why you need to exercise and great tips to help you get started right.

Reasons to Exercise- Lowering Cholesterol and So Much More

1. Physical exercise enhances the effectiveness of our insulin helping it more easily regulate our glucose levels and helping to burn abdominal fat.
2. Regulates lipids or fats: physical exercise usually increases good cholesterol (HDL) and lowers the bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides.
3. Helps regulate blood pressure.
4. Decreases obesity: our metabolism becomes more active with exercise and helps in many cases to lose weight or prevent heart disease.
5. Eliminate stress: physical exercise is a good way to eliminate or counteract the effects of stress. Relaxation promotes better hormonal balance and help lower cholesterol.
6. Exercise is a natural way to elevate your mood.  It works as well as medications for mild depression.
7. Lowers cancer risk:  including breast, gastrointestinal, and lung cancers.
8. Exercise improves your brain health.  Studies show older people who exercise vigorously and regularly have a 40% lower risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

How much exercise should I do to lower cholesterol?

Aerobic exercise such as walking, running, swimming, cycling are most beneficial for lowering cholesterol. The intensity and duration of exercise that is best for you will depend on  your overall health and previous activity level.

Remember, any exercise is better than no exercise!

If you are just starting out, walking one hour, three times a week can be enough.  Many people at this point also love in-home video workouts, because they might be a bit self-conscious going to the gym.  Luckily, there is a huge variety of  fun, effective programs to choose from.  Slim in 6 is one I’ve found great for people just starting out.  The moves are easy, and when I did it I saw a big fat-loss in just 6 weeks.  (My wife won’t let me do it anymore because it makes me TOO skinny! )

As your fitness improves, you can graduate to do more intense exercises (running, swimming, cycling, P90X, etc.).

Exercise Guidelines to Lower Cholesterol

The American College of Sports Medicine and American Heart Association recently updated their physical activity guidelines.  Although not specific for cholesterol lowering, following them will improve your lipid profile- especially by lowering your triglycerides and raising your HDL cholesterol.

Healthy adults should:

• do moderate intensity cardio 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week -OR- vigorous, high-intensity cardio 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week.
• also do strength / resistance training twice a week

Note:  this is to maintain good health and prevent disease.  If you need to lose weight or lower your triglycerides and cholesterol by the maximum amount, more exercise will be needed.

Exercise Tips

• Short bouts add up.  Exercise is cumulative throughout the day.  By this I mean that 10 minutes of activity 3 times a day is essentially just as good as 30 minutes continuous exercise.
• Make exercise part of your day.  You shower every day, right?  Exercise is way more important to your health than clean pits (I can say that since I don’t have to sit next to you).   So set aside time in advance every day.  If you make a date, you are more likely to keep it.
• Variety is the spice of fitness, so find feel free to mix it up as you like.  Today, most well-balanced exercise programs combine both an aerobic (cardio) activity with resistance training.  You’ll find these programs will give you the best exercise results and be easier to stick with as well.

Bonus Tips to Help You Love Exercise Even More!

There are many people who have trouble finding the time or discipline to get in enough exercise to lower cholesterol levels.   For you we have these simple bonus tips:

• Go on foot or bike when we go short distances (you’ll love the fresh air and you’ll even save a little on gas!).
• Park a little farther away from our workplace, then walk the last ten or fifteen minutes to get there.
• Go up and down the stairs instead of the elevator.
• When we are nervous, go out for a walk  instead of eating something (which will always be sweet or fat).
• Choose an exercise program just for busy people like Ten-Minute Trainer (below).

We hope you enjoy these simple tips about how you can lowering cholesterol with exercise. Physical exercise is undoubtedly one of the main pillars, along with diet to eliminate or lower cholesterol and improve your health.

OK, enough typing.  Time to put my money where my mouth is and go work out!!

If you want to lower cholesterol naturally, you’ll want to start by eating  cholesterol lowering foods.  (See, it isn’t that difficult!)   Eating healthy foods and exercising regularly can help lower your cholesterol or keep a normal cholesterol level.  On the other hand, lack of physical activities and poor diet can increase your cholesterol.

One of the easiest things to do is eat more plants!  Most plants are high in fiber and getting more fiber is critical, because soluble fiber binds to fats and removes them directly through your GI tract.  High fiber plants to make a big part of your diet include fruits, veggies, legumes, nuts, and grains. 

High fiber fruits:

• Apples, 1 medium, 5.0 g 
• Blueberries, 1 cup, 4.2 g
• Pears, 1 medium, 5.1 g
• Strawberries, 1 cup, 4.4 g
•  Raspberries, 1 cup, 6.4 gm

Veggies are almost all good sources of fiber for lowering your cholesterol.  Leading the list are: 

• Avocados, 1 medium, 11.8 g
• Broccoli, 1 cup, 4.5 g
• Carrots, 1 cup, 5.2 g
• Kale, 1 cup, 7.2 g
•  Peas, 1 cup, 8.8 g
•  Spinach, 1 cup (cooked), 4.3 g
• Winter squash, 1 cup, 6.2 g

Grains, nuts, seeds, and seeds are more staple foods in your cholesterol lowering diet (our hunter and gatherer ancestors had it right!):

• Almonds, 1 oz, 4.2 g
• Barley, 1 cup, 6.0 g
• Black beans, 1 cup, 13.9 g
• Bran cereal, 1 cup, 19.9 g
• Brown rice, 1 cup, 7.9 g
• Flax seeds, 3 tbsp, 6.9 g
• Kidney beans, 1 cup, 11.6 g
• lentils, 1 cup, 13.6 g
• Lima beans, 1 cup, 8.6 g
• Oats (oatmeal), 1 cup (dry), 12.0 g
• Quinoa, 1 cup (cooked), 8.4 g
• Soybeans, 1 cup, 8.6 g

Other Important Cholesterol Lowering Foods

You must use cold-pressed vegetable oils such as olive oil, canola, soy, sesame, sunflower, and corn. It has been found that using these vegetable oils in your cooking reduces LDL cholesterol levels in the blood.

Lower cholesterol level by as much as 30 mg/dl with the regular use of garlic in foods or by taking garlic supplements.  It helps to decrease bad cholesterol and increase artery elasticity, and is also thus a good natural remedy for hypertension.

Consumption of oily fish such as salmon, sardines and tuna reduce blood cholesterol.  The American Heart Association recommends that everyone gets at least 2 servings of fish per week, and people with high triglycerides need to eat even more.  If that much fish is difficult for you, then it is important to get your needed Omega-3 through supplements.

The use of chromium picolinate: it has been shown to reduce total cholesterol levels and improves the ratio of LDL and HDL.

Coenzyme Q10: powerful antioxidant that improves circulation and reduces arterial blockages.

Soy Lecithin: it also reduces blood cholesterol.

Vitamin B complex controls the level of cholesterol. These vitamins are necessary for the metabolism of fats because they protect the liver from fatty deposits. Vitamin C and vitamin E are used to lower cholesterol because they improve the circulation.

Foods to Avoid

Trans Fats. These  are evil.  Trans fats raise your LDL “bad” cholesterol and lower your HDL “good” cholesterol.  Foods that contain trans fats include most commercially prepared baked foods such as pies, tarts, cakes, pastries and energy bars.

Margarine, lard and butter: they are hydrogenated fats that clog arteries.

Dairy foods: cheeses are especially rich in saturated fats.  Saturated fats are closely linked to obesity, overweight, cardiovascular disease etc.  Choose low-fat or non-fat milks and cheeses in moderation.

Eggs: The egg still is an excellent and healthy food because the egg white contains protein of high biological value.

The egg yolk, on the other hand, is a mixed bag.  Egg yolk is rich in cholesterol.  A single egg contains about 200 mg of cholesterol (all in the yolk).  But the yolk is not all bad.  It provides healthy fats: phospholipids, and linoleic acid. It is also a source of choline, phosphorus, zinc and selenium, as well as vitamin A, vitamin D, B12, folic acid and biotin.  Newer studies indicating that cholesterol from moderate yolk-eating does not change the values of blood cholesterol, so most people following an otherwise healthy diet can eat three or four eggs a week without causing harm.  However, if your cholesterol is above normal levels then you should stick to 1-2 per week.

The best ways to cut down include using 2 egg whites in recipes instead of one whole egg, or using cholesterol free egg substitutes.

Discover Your Own Recipes to Lower Cholesterol and Health Goals right away with these Simple and Effective Healthy Meal Plans. Try Isabel’s The Diet Solution Program Today!

Food Allowed (moderate consumption)

- Milk and dairy products: semi-skimmed milk, skim milk, non-fat dry milk, low-fat yogurt, cheeses made from skim milk, soft cheeses and low-fat cheeses.

- Meat and protein: fish, tuna, salmon, semi-fat meats (lean beef, pork, chicken), chicken and turkey sausages,  low-fat ham (no bacon), whole egg. Chicken (no skin), turkey (no skin),  shellfish, veal, peanut butter, nuts, textured vegetable protein, soy and tofu.  Limit to 9 oz. per week of lean and trimmed beef, lamb, pork or ham packed in water or vegetable oil.

- Cereals, potatoes and vegetables: Potatoes, rice, pasta (prefer whole grain).  All vegetables, raw or cooked.

- Beverages: Coffee, tea, coffee substitutes, low calorie carbonated drinks, unsweetened fruit juices, vegetable juices.

- Fat: Low-calorie margarine, polyunsaturated fats including margarine with liquid vegetable oil, oils made from corn, soybean, safflower, cottonseed, mayonnaise and salad dressing made with allowed oils.

LIMITED FOOD (eating sporadically or in small quantities)

- Milk and dairy: Chocolate milk, whole milk, 2% milk, regular buttermilk, condensed milk, sour cream, regular yogurt, non-dairy cream substitutes, other cheeses.

- Meat: Fried meats, duck, goose, heavily marbled and fatty meats, ribs, mutton, frankfurters, sausage, regular ground beef, bacon, luncheon meats, kidney, brains, heart, sweetbreads, liver.

- Vegetables: Vegetables prepared with butter, cream, cheese and other sauces.

- Fruits: Dried fruits (figs, dates, prunes), in syrup, candied and crystallized.

- Beverages: All alcoholic. Hot chocolate, regular milkshakes, eggnog, regular soft drinks, fruit flavored drinks and fruit juices with sugar added

- Fats: Butter, regular margarine, palm and coconut oil, solid shortening, lard, bacon fat, regular gravies, salad dressings with cheese.

- Other products: sugar, fructose, glucose syrup, jam, honey, chocolate and products, bakery products, sugar-sweetened. Yolk-containing products (mayonnaise, cakes, pies).

“I hear everyone talking about trans-fats.  But what exactly are they, and why are they so bad?”

Trans fats, or trans-fatty acids, are largely artificial fats manufactured by a process called hydrogenation.  If you read a label and see anything with ‘partially-hydrogenated’ in front of it, it is a trans fat. Companies started using them all over the place because they were cheap, had good flavor, and extended the shelf life of products.

What foods contain trans fats?

Since trans fats seemed to be the perfect fat, they made their way into practically all of our favorite processed foods.

You’ll find trans fats in processed foods, fast foods, and commercially baked goods. They are in pretty much all the foods that taste good that you are not suppose to eat. They are in french fries, pies, pastries, cookies, crackers, chips, popcorn, frozen waffles and margarine. Many of these foods are also high in saturated fat.

Trans fats are fats that contain trans fats which are a type of unsaturated fatty acids. It is very similar to the structure of saturated fat and therefore affect our health in similar ways.

Hydrogenated fat is formed when unsaturated fatty acids react with hydrogen under high temperature. Trans fats are formed during the chemical process by which oil is hardened while the fat content of omega-3 fatty acids disappears.

In recent years however, we’ve learned of an alarming number of health risks associated with the intake of trans fats, which explains why trans fats are such a hot health issue.

A World Health Organization (WHO) report from 2009 on health effects of trans fats wrote that “trans fat from industrially hydrogenated fats should be severely limited or completely removed. In the first instance, trans fats are replaced with unsaturated fat that is not cured. In principle, it is about fats that are rich in omega-6, omega-3 or monounsaturated fat. ”

Trans fat raises LDL cholesterol levels even more than saturated fats. In addition to raising the so-called bad cholesterol, it also lowers HDL, the “good cholesterol” that serves as a protective factor against cardiovascular disease. Therefore, for good health we need  to reduce the amount of trans fat in foods we eat.  We eat saturated fat and trans fat from food, which in an unbalanced diet can contribute to cardiovascular disease, diabetes and overweight. It is also very important to reduce the intake of saturated fat while increasing intake of unsaturated fats in order to achieve a balance in fat intake. Unsaturated fats are found in olive oil, canola oil, nuts and fish.

What foods contain saturated fat?

Saturated fats are found mainly in full fat dairy and meat products, such as cream, butter, fat cheese, bacon, greasy sausage, ice cream, pastries and chocolate. Some vegetable oils contain saturated fats such as coconut and palm oil.