Guide To Cholesterol Care

The main factor in cholesterol care is diet. Controlling the foods we eat on a daily basis is decisive if the goal is to regulate the levels of this lipid.

The best way to take good cholesterol care is to adopt a healthy lifestyle, which includes eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and also quitting smoking. Anyone can have high cholesterol, but we can all lower it with the right measures.

Cholesterol is a substance similar to fat, which is mainly produced in the liver and is essential for life. The so-called “bad cholesterol” is that which is deposited on the tissues, arteries included. The “good cholesterol” is the one that takes the bad cholesterol and carries it to the liver to be expelled.

Cholesterol care involves lowering “bad cholesterol” levels and increasing “good cholesterol” levels. This protects us from cardiovascular disease,  which is the number one killer in the entire Western Hemisphere. But how do you get there? Let’s study this right now.

Food for cholesterol care

A healthy diet is one of the key factors in caring for cholesterol. It is important to avoid excess weight and, for this, it is necessary to reduce the caloric intake. To define the dietary rules, we must take into account that foods are divided into three groups:

• Adequate food. These are the ones with a low content of saturated fat and a high content of carbohydrates and plant fibers. These are the foods that should be consumed on a regular basis. They include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fish, and olive oil.
• To consume with moderation. They are not recommended for daily consumption as they contain a lot of unsaturated fat or low or medium levels of saturated fat. In this group, we find lean meats and seed oils.
• Not recommendable. These are foods that should only be eaten once in a while because they contain a lot of saturated fat and cholesterol. They include whole dairy products and their derivatives, fatty meats, cold cuts, fried products and industrial bakery.

A daily diet plan

Once you have identified the recommendable and non-recommendable foods, you need to structure a daily cholesterol care diet plan. The goal is to control the amount of saturated fat that we consume every day.

Here is a diagram of equivalences which may be useful to you:

• If one consumes 1200 calories per day, one should not eat more than 10 grams of saturated fat.
• If one consumes 1500 calories per day, one should not eat more than 13 grams of saturated fat.
• For 1,800 calories per day, one should not eat more than 16 grams of saturated fat.
• For every 2000 calories per day, one should not eat more than 18 grams of saturated fat.
• If one consumes 2,500 calories per day, one should not eat more than 22 grams of saturated fat.

When it comes to carbohydrates, there are two types: simple and complex. The simple ones are high in calories and low in nutrients. They include sugars and cakes. The complexes are low in calories and high in fiber: they include grains, pasta, rice, vegetables and fruits.

The idea is to eat mainly complex carbohydrates. In addition, soluble fiber should be included in the daily diet. Ingesting 5-10 grams of soluble fiber helps lower bad cholesterol by up to 5%. It is best to introduce them gradually. They are found in whole grains, fruits, beans, chickpeas, lentils, etc.

Other dietary aspects

Some plants contain sterols and stanols. It has been shown that ingesting just two grams of these elements daily can reduce bad cholesterol by between 10% and 15%.

In addition,  it is advisable to reduce the amount of salt that we consume on a daily basis. Some products and spices are used to preserve the flavor of food by using less salt:

• Laurel
• Thyme
• Onion and garlic
• Pepper
• Ginger
• Oregano
• Curry
• Lemon
• Chili peppers

Alcohol should be eliminated or kept to a minimum. Broil, baking or steaming methods should also be preferred, and frying should be avoided.

Exercise: a decisive factor

The second big factor that affects cholesterol care is regular physical activity. Staying physically active is fundamental to preventing cardiovascular problems, controlling weight and thereby lowering “bad cholesterol” levels.

Physical exercise should be done gradually  and under medical supervision if you have a health problem or if you are over 40 years old. Under normal conditions, 30 minutes of exercise per day is sufficient for good cholesterol care.

Finally,  it is recommended to avoid tobacco in all its forms. This is associated with 30% of cardiovascular disease. Giving up this habit will therefore be very beneficial for health.