You can find dozens of low-cholesterol diets online and in bookstores. Reading and trying them all can be confusing and even counter-productive. Read between the lines, though, and you'll discover they all have some things in common. If you're looking for the best diet, it is a diet that consists of the foods all low-cholesterol diets recommend.
The Best Diet for Cutting Cholesterol
All good low-cholesterol diets emphasise the importance of replacing "bad" high LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol with "good" HDL (high-density lipoprotein) foods. This is easier than it sounds. Basically, our Western diets have become largely high LDL diets because of the large amounts of meat and processed foods we eat. Switching to a low "bad" cholesterol diet starts with identifying which foods contain LDLs or saturated fats. The worst offenders include:
- Meat
- Dairy products
- Some cooking oils
- Most processed foods (such as chips)
All it takes to start reducing your cholesterol is to substitute HDL foods for those LDL-laden foods:
- Fatty fishes like sardines, Albacore tuna, salmon and halibut contain high levels of omega-3 fat. This is the good fat your body needs. Rather than frying the fish, grill or bake it.
- Replacing cow's milk with soy milk is a good way to start reducing cholesterol. Substitute tofu for cheese whenever possible and if you like adding cheese to your salads, try substituting nuts for cheese.
- Many processed foods are made with a derivative of palm oil, which is one vegetable product that contains bad cholesterol. Limit or eliminate the amounts of processed foods you eat and replace your salad and cooking oil with olive oil.
Olive oil deserves special mention because it contains no LDLs and is very rich in antioxidants, which, amongst other things, reduce bad (LDL) cholesterol.
Substitute, Don't Eliminate
Many low cholesterol diets fail because they make too many demands, too quickly. The best way to switch from a high cholesterol diet to a healthy low cholesterol diet is to substitute bad foods you like with good foods you also enjoy. For example:
- Eat less meat and more beans. Kidney and other beans contain protein and fibre, but no LDLs. In addition, they bind cholesterol in the intestinal tract, preventing it from being reabsorbed by the body.
- A healthy salad can contain fish (canned in water), avocado (a great cholesterol lowering food) and a sprinkling of nuts. Or try a "taco salad" with pinto beans. You will be surprised by how filling and satisfying a salad can be if you add the right ingredients.
- Use soy milk in place of cow's milk. If you eat cereal for breakfast, substitute healthy grains for unhealthy, processed grains. Oatmeal and oat bran are inexpensive and contain soluble fibre, which reduces LDL levels in your bloodstream. For extra flavour, throw in some sliced banana.
Fresh fruits and vegetables contain cholesterol fighting antioxidants, so make them a regular part of your diet. Keep a bowl of fruit on hand at all times and avoid buying chips and other processed snacks. Before you know it, a healthy diet will become natural to you and you won't want to return to a high-cholesterol diet.
And don't worry if you backtrack a little occasionally, especially at first. The idea is to tip the scales in favour of a low cholesterol diet. You're more likely to stick with your diet if you enjoy it than if you are too strict with yourself.
