Eating High Cholesterol Foods And Staying Healthy Too!
"Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are," said the French philosopher. Two hundred years later, doctors agree. If you eat unhealthy, you end up unhealthy. Here we focus on just one of many dietary villains: cholesterol, and his sidekick, triglycerides. If you want to steer clear of heart and artery disease, then you must understand the unhealthy nexus between the cholesterol- (and triglyceride-) laden food you consume and cardio-vascular disease. This understanding is crucial to making an informed decision about your choice of food, because that's going to affect your health and your life.
What is the actual effect of cholesterol? High levels of cholesterol in the bloodstream cause a number of cardio-vascular diseases including artery blockage, strokes, coronary disease and heart attacks. The kicker is the fatal influence of many modern day lifestyle-related vices: smoking, drinking, hypertension, and obesity. Some unfortunate people have the added burden of a hereditary weakness which makes them naturally prone to any or all of the above diseases.
Cholesterol comes in two flavors: good (HDL) and bad (LDL). As the names imply, good cholesterol is good for us, bad cholesterol is bad for us. The body requires some triglycerides, but too much is bad. Saturated fats are a form of triglycerides which is really bad news for the heart. On the other hand, Omega-3 fats famously found in fish, is good at controlling the other bad triglycerides and cholesterol. So we should avoid the bad and accept the good. It's a simple principle which applies to everything. If only we can live this principle!
We grew up to a simple fact: Eggs are good for us! Then came the pronouncement: Eggs contain a lot of cholesterol! Immediately eggs were taken off the diet lists of almost every household. Now eggs are back without the yolk because research has shown that it is the yolk which contains the cholesterol and not the white. So chefs everywhere are dreaming up yolk-less egg delicacies! The point is that we often bad name a food without really understanding what about it is really harmful.
Some specific foods do have significant cholesterol content. Unfortunately, these specific foods are less to blame for high cholesterol levels than the other foods that we usually have with the specific food. Again, let's take eggs as an example. The single egg or maybe two that you have doesn't do the damage as much as that side helping of bacon, cheese, and sausages, not to mention the slices of bread generously coated with butter! So it is healthier to pay attention to the way the food is cooked and what other things you have with the specific food, than to exclude specific food items.
The way the food is cooked is just as much to blame for high cholesterol levels in the bloodstream. Even foods innocent of any trace of cholesterol, can be transformed into real dangerous dishes. If the food is fried in oil or margarine then the goodness of the food is overpowered by the saturated fats present in the cooking medium. Red meats, poultry products, and dairy products contain high levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. So it's best to stay away from fried stuff and animal products.
Saturated fats are a deadly ingredient in your diet, making the liver increase production of LDL and triglycerides which leads to artery blockage and strokes.
There is no sense in banning specific food items from your diet. It makes more practical sense to maintain a moderate approach. Have everything, but in moderation. Keep a strict vigil on what you eat and how it is cooked. A fresh potato salad is good but French fries is not! Choose to grill your food rather than fry it. Have plenty of fresh vegetables. These very ordinary precautions will help to keep your heart beating perfectly for many, many years!
The initial step you should take is to get a cholesterol test an find out what your levels are. Then eat a balanced low cholesterol diet, and keep up with your levels by purchasing a cholesterol monitor. Go to www.reduce-high-cholesterol.com for additional info on living a heart healthy life.
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- Got High Cholesterol? Here Are Some Lower Cholesterol Foods
- Increase Your HDL By Eating These Foods
- Protect Your Heart By Eating Foods That Lower Cholesterol
- The facts about bad fats and its effects on Cholesterol and Triglycerides
- Six Great Foods That Lower Cholesterol Naturally
- Foods That Can Really Help To Reduce Bad Cholesterol
- Lower Your Blood Pressure by Eating These Foods
- Some Foods That Are Good For Your Heart
- What Is High LDL Cholesterol And How Does It Affect The Heart?
- Causes of High LDL Cholesterol Levels