Diets for high cholestrol

When researching diets for high cholestrol, there are a few that can be found on the market. Most of the diets call for the same foods, low fat, full of whole grains, vegetables, low calorie foods, fruits and lean meats.

The first diet on the list is the Mediterranean diet, based off of the eating habits of inhabitants of Greece and other countries that surround the Mediterranean Sea. This diet was first introduced in 1993 and has grown seemingly popular. The reason behind its success is due to an overall balanced diet that is enjoyable to eat. Even though the diet is high in fat these fats are all considered good fats. Olive oil is the main source of fat in this particular diet. Olive oil does not contain the high saturated fat that is found in animal based products, such as butter and milk. The Mediterranean diet has some added bonuses to it also, for example drinking 1-2 glasses of red wine a day or being able to eat pasta as long as it’s whole grains. Most of the cheeses you’ll eat on this diet are mozzarella and feta. A normal breakfast on this diet would be an egg white omelet with spinach and feta cheese, which is quite tasty. Lot’s of beans, lean meats and fish are all key elements from this diet that help reduce cholestrol.

If you have very high cholestrol your doctor might recommend the TLC diet, “therapeutic lifestyle changes”. The main focus of the TLC diet is to lower fat intake every day. This diet consists of the following: total of only 5 ozs of lean meat a day, fish and shellfish, tofu, egg yolks but only up to 2 a week, substitute egg whites in any recipe if possible, buy either fat free or skim milk, soy milk is another alternative, and eating 3-5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day.

Quaker oatmeal has a 30 day challenge on their website called the “smart heart challenge”. There are three steps to the challenge and it’s free to use. The first step is to check your levels beforehand, then make sure to eat a min of ½ cups of cooked oatmeal a day and limit foods that are high in saturated fat. Quaker oatmeal gives you a scoreboard that can be printed out or used online. Every day you record your heart points and track it for an entire month. The last step in the challenge is to exercise. By adding cardio exercise such as walking, you decrease your cholestrol levels. The website has a ton of resources on cholestrol, including recipes, tips and tricks for weight loss, treatment and general information.