Learn How to Lower Your Cholesterol
Your body produces cholesterol naturally; in fact good cholesterol is vital to keep your body working in good condition. Bad cholesterol comes from the food you eat. One of the ways you can learn how to lower your cholesterol is to change the way you eat, or rather the foods you eat.
Knowing the different types of fats out there is a big step towards learning how to lower your cholesterol. If you know what foods to avoid and which ones you should eat more of you can significantly change how heart healthy your diet is.
What Fats to Eat?
It seems like a given that fat is bad for you. That's not entirely true, some fats can be good for you and fat lurks in many foods. Not just the ones typically associated with high cholesterol levels. Saturated fat is one of the bad fats that you should avoid; it is advisable that you keep consumption of saturated fats to less than 7 percent of your total daily calories.
Saturated fats are usually found in various animal product,s but can also be found in some vegetable products. Dairy products made from whole or 2 percent milk all contain saturated fats. Beef, veal, pork, poultry, and shellfish all contain saturated fats. You don't have to completely cut out these foods, but you shouldn't be eating these foods on a regular basis or in large quantities.
You may not know this but one way you can learn how to lower your cholesterol is to eat polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. These types of fat are usually found in fish such as salmon, trout, and herring. Fruits and nuts such as avocados, olives, and walnuts are also a good example of foods with good fats. Vegetable oils such as corn, soybean, safflower, canola, olive and sunflower are also better substitutes to lard and butter.
Eating foods that are rich in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats in place of saturated fats is a good way to reduce blood cholesterol levels. Your overall intake of all fats should be limited to 25 to 35 percent of your daily calorie intake. Increasing the amount of fruits and vegetable is another how to lower your cholesterol lesson.
High fiber and whole grain foods are another way easy how to lower your cholesterol step. Simple steps like using soft margarine that has 0 trans fatty acids in place of butter is another way you can learn how to lower your cholesterol. These simple steps will have you feeling better in no time.
