6 Cooking Tips To Help You Lower Your Cholesterol Intake

Eating a balanced diet and eating fruits and vegetables is one of the keys to avoiding high cholesterol levels.

The build-up of cholesterol in the arteries, known medically as hypercholesterolemia, is one of the ailments of the modern world. It is of course associated with the onset of chronic cardiovascular disease.

This lipid, naturally secreted in the liver, forms a hard plaque that clogs the arteries and, by impeding circulation, interferes with the functions of the heart muscle.

The most worrying thing is that many people are unaware that it is present in a wide variety of foods that are eaten regularly and that, as a result, the level of cholesterol in the body becomes difficult to control.

In addition, because it does not manifest itself with bothersome symptoms, some people are unaware that they have this problem and, due to this lack of control, develop more serious conditions.

For this reason, it is essential to try to stabilize the level of cholesterol, adopt healthy habits and practice cooking tips that help to limit consumption.

You are interested ? Put them into practice!

1. Avoid using sauces and dressings

Industrial sauces and dressings are products that help improve the flavor of meats, vegetables and many other foods.

The problem is, they’re full of fats, cholesterol, and other chemical additives which in the long run can be harmful to your health.

Their regular consumption is one of the causes of the increase in cholesterol and metabolic disorders.

recommendations

If you want to give your dishes a better flavor, go for healthy dressings like:

• Sour cream or sour cream
• Mustard seeds
• Greek yogurt
• Organic tomato paste
• Herbs and spices
• Cider vinegar
• Lemon juice
• Red wine

2. Choose low-fat dairy products

Although dairy products contain nutrients that are beneficial for health, it is important to keep in mind that they are an important source of cholesterol due to their animal origin.

Whole milk, yogurt, cheese, and other similar products are full of saturated fat. After being assimilated into the body, they determine the onset of hypercholesterolemia.

recommendations

• Prefer low- fat , light or fat-free presentations of your favorite dairy products.
• Whenever possible, replace dairy products with plant-based alternatives.

3. Limit the use of margarine

Margarine is a product that is often used in many recipes. What a lot of people don’t know is that it’s a major source of cholesterol. When consumed regularly, it can have an impact on health.

Although its taste is pleasant and very versatile, it is best to limit your intake and replace it with healthy fats.

recommendations

If you are used to using margarine in your recipes, choose to use healthy fats like oils from:

• Sunflower
• Olive
• Rapeseed or canola
• Coconut
• Lawyer

4. Review the cooking modes

Many people neglect the methods of cooking food. While it doesn’t really seem important to us, they actually have a lot to do with having high cholesterol levels.

This lipid, along with triglycerides, tend to be retained in the arteries when oils and saturated fats are used in meal preparation.

recommendations

• Instead of frying your food, choose to grill, bake, or steam it.
• Also cook at low temperature to preserve the nutritional quality of the ingredients.

5. Include olive oil in your diet

Due to its high concentration of essential nutrients and healthy fats, olive oil is one of the ingredients that should not be missing from our kitchen.

This product, in its extra virgin presentation, contains omega 3, vitamin E and essential minerals that increase the presence of good cholesterol (HDL) in the blood.

This, in addition to its antioxidant supply, slows the effects of oxidative stress and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.

recommendations

• Take a tablespoon of olive oil on an empty stomach.
• Use olive oil to prepare the salad dressings.
• Add it to your soups, stews, smoothies and many other recipes.

6. Increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables

Red meats, cold meats and other processed foods are an important source of bad cholesterol (LDL).

For this reason, instead of consuming them in large amounts, choose to increase the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables instead.

Not only is this category of food more satiating, it cleanses the arteries and helps reduce cholesterol build-up.

recommendations

• Make sure you eat 3 to 5 fruits a day.
• Prepare at least half of your main dishes with vegetable recipes.
• Try to consume them raw, as much as possible, because this will give you 100% of their properties.

As you can see, reducing cholesterol intake through diet is possible and otherwise not very difficult to achieve on a daily basis.

So just heed these simple recommendations to start monitoring your cholesterol levels and protecting your cardiovascular health.