Cholesterol Lowering Diet
Eat To Lower Your Cholesterol

Research has shown that dietary and life-style changes can allow people to keep more plaque from building up in their coronary arteries as well as help reduce the plaque already there. Eating a cholesterol lowering diet can actually widen narrowed coronary arteries. A cholesterol lowering diet is a must if you are suffering from high cholesterol. The basic of a diet to lower cholesterol is to decrease the total intake of saturated fat, calories, and cholesterol in the body, and it is a diet that is healthy for everyone.

Recommended Cholesterol Lowering Diet

The American Heart Association recommends the following steps to be taken for lowering cholesterol levels

• Total fat intake should be no more than 30% of calories.
• Saturated fat  intake should be less than 10% of calories. Saturated fat is the kind that is solid at room temperature.
• The intake of polyunsaturated fat, which is liquid at room and refrigerator temperatures, should be 8% to 10% of calories.
• Monounsaturated fat  intake should make up the rest of total fat intake, about 10% to 15% of total calories. Olive oil and canola oil are monounsaturated fat.
• Cholesterol intake should be less than 300 milligrams daily.
• Sodium intake should be no more than 2,400 milligrams daily.

If you have been on a low fat diet similar to the one above, and have not gotten the results you need,  you should considering eating a diet even lower in fat intake. Such a diet would include:

• Saturated fat intake should be less than 7% of calories.
• Cholesterol intake should be less than 200 milligrams daily.
• Calorie intake should be enough to maintain a healthy body weight.
  

Very Low Fat Diet

People who do not respond to typical diets to lower cholesterol or those who have severe heart disease might be put on a very low fat diet. These diets have as little as 18% to 26% of calories from fat, which means eliminating almost all meats,  dairy products, and added fats from the diet.

Most people find it very hard to follow a very low fat diet for a long period -- it is just too restrictive. 

Food to Avoid In A Cholesterol Lowering Diet

There are a host of foods to strike from your cholesterol lowering diet. These include  canned vegetables, canned soups, cold cuts, bacon, ham, cheeses, salty snack foods, olives, pickles, dried soups,  fast foods.

Low Cholesterol Diet Tips

• Broil, bake, boil, or roast foods rather than fry.
• Use non-stick pans or coat pans with a thin layer of non-stick spray.
• Add less fat to food during both cooking and eating. Some examples include using jam instead of margarine on toast, a non-fat or low-fat salad dressing instead of a high-fat dressing, lemon juice instead of butter on vegetables, or salsa instead of sour cream on baked potatoes.
• Use spices and butter substitutes 
• Try fat-free or low cholesterol cookies and crackers
• Buy fish, poultry or veal cutlet. Remove skin from chicken before you cook or eat it.
• Broil, barbecue, pan saute in broth or roast meat on a rack rather than fry. 
• Limit the amount of red meat you eat, and buy the leanest type available.
• Use 1% or skim milk.

Low Cholesterol Recipe Sauteed Chicken with Rice 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves 1 tbsp olive oil 1&1/2 cups quick-cooking brown rice 1&1/4 cups defatted chicken stock 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley 1/4 cup lemon fresh juice 2 tbsp capers, rinsed and chopped 2 tbsp chopped, toasted almonds In a large no-stick frying pan over medium heat, cook the chicken in the oil for 5 minutes, or until lightly browned on both sides. Add the rice, stock, parsley, lemon juice and capers. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with almonds. Per serving: 460 calories, 10.6 g. fat (21% of calories), 4.6 g. dietary fiber, 73 mg. cholesterol, 342 mg. sodium

For more information about cholesterol and its effects on your body see:

High Cholesterol Basics - Good vs. Bad Cholesterol
High Cholesterol Diet - Managing Cholesterol Levels With Diet