Low Cholesterol Diet Plans

Today with the society being more educated on health matters the mere mentioning of the word cholesterol, brings a pang of fear. But let me tell you that cholesterol itself is not bad. It is an essential component of cell membranes in animals. It is also important to manufacture bile acids, hormones and steroids. Part of the cholesterol is produced naturally while some of it is produced by the food we consume.

There are mainly two kinds of cholesterol in our bodies namely the good cholesterol and the bad cholesterol. Both types of cholesterol should balance in our bodies. Too much or too little of both types of cholesterol may cause heart diseases. HDL is the good cholesterol and a healthy level of HDL may protect the body against heart attacks and strokes, while a lower level of HDL may increase the risk of heart ailments.

LDL is the bad cholesterol, and too much of it may increase the risk of heart attacks. Even though LDL cholesterol is produced naturally by the body some people inherit it from their parents. It is very important to maintain balanced levels of cholesterol in your body to be fit and healthy. Therefore It is a good practice to regularly check your cholesterol levels.

Low cholesterol diet plans will help you reduce your cholesterol levels by fifteen percent. For those who do not have a high level of cholesterol, it is good to start early with low cholesterol diet plans as you never know when your cholesterol level may rise. Low cholesterol diet plans will help you identify what food you should consume, at what quantities and what food items need to be avoided.

Low cholesterol diet plans with regular exercise will give you a better chance of lowering your cholesterol levels. If the cholesterol levels cannot be controlled by the low cholesterol diet plans, your doctor will prescribe necessary drugs. The therapeutic life style diet plan, one of the low cholesterol diet plans, is a low saturated fat eating plan and is for people whose LDL levels are above hundred and thirty.

Food items that are less in saturated fat such as diary products that are fat free, lean meats, skinless poultry, fish, whole grain foods, vegetables and fruit are recommended for a daily diet by low cholesterol diet plans. Foods high in fiber such as Oat meal, dried peas and beans, fruits such as Oranges and certain vegetables such as carrots and Brussels sprouts are also recommended. Foods with high cholesterol, such as egg yolk, liver, full fat dairy products, fried foods, fast foods, processed meats, bacon, ham, donuts should be avoided or limited.

Cooking methods such as baking poaching, grilling, roasting are also recommended by low cholesterol diet plans. At least three to five servings of fruits and vegetables should be included in your daily diet. Some sweets and snacks like cakes and cookies are also high in saturated fats and should be limited in one's diet.