Lowering Cholesterol
Lowering Cholesterol
- Serving North Mississippi since 1996
- Comprehensive Services including In-House Lab & Imaging Services
- Serving North Mississippi since 1996
- Comprehensive Services including In-House Lab & Imaging Services
How Can I Lower High Cholesterol?
Too much cholesterol in the blood can lead to heart disease -- America's number one killer. Even though there's much you can do to lower your cholesterol levels and protect yourself, half of all Americans still have levels that are too high (over 200 mg/di).
You can reduce cholesterol in your blood by eating healthy foods, low in saturated fat and cholesterol, losing weight if you need to and exercising. Some people also need to take medicine because changing their diet isn't enough. Your doctor and nurses will help you set up a plan for reducing your cholesterol -- and keeping your heart healthy. Call Endocrinology Consultants PLLC if you'd like to know more.
What Should I Eat?
Foods low in saturated fat include:
- Fruits and vegetables (5 or more servings each day)
- Whole grains, like cereal, rice and pasta (6 or more servings each day)
- Lean red meats and poultry without skin (Choose up to 6 total ounces each day)
- Low-fat or skim milk dairy products (2-4 servings each day)
- Lean fish and shellfish
- Beans and peas
What Should I Limit?
Foods high in saturated fat and cholesterol such as:
- Whole milk, cream and ice cream
- Butter, egg yolks and cheese -- and foods made with them
- Bakery goods made with egg yolks and saturated fats
- Saturated oils like coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil
- Organ meats like liver, sweetbreads, kidney and brain
- High-fat processed meats like sausage, bologna, salami and hot dogs
- Fatty red meats that aren't trimmed
- Duck and goose meat
- Solid fats like shortening, soft margarine and lard
- Fried foods
What Are Some Cooking Tips?
- Use a rack to drain off fat when you broil, roast or bake
- Don't baste with drippings; use wine, fruit juice or marinade
- Broil or microwave instead of pan-frying
- Cut all the fat you can see off of any meat you cook, and take all the skin off chicken and turkey
- Use a vegetable oil spray to brown or saute foods
- Serve smaller portions of dishes that have some fat, and serve bigger portions of no -fat dishes like pasta, rice, beans and vegetables
- Make recipes or egg dishes with egg whites, not yolks
- Instead of regular cheese, use low-fat cottage cheese, part-skim milk mozzarella and other low-fat and nonfat cheeses
- Use ANA low-fat cookbooks and recipes
- For cooking use unsaturated vegetable oils like canola , olive, safflower and sunflower oils in limited amounts
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