What is a Good Diet for High Cholesterol?
Every human body needs cholesterol and makes good use of it, but the reality is that a lot of people get way too much cholesterol from their diets. Cholesterol in excess goes from being good to bad really quickly, as the waxy substance builds up as plaque on the walls of arteries that move blood in and out of different important organs in the body. If a buildup of plaque built from cholesterol breaks free then you’ve got the makings of a blood clot. Definitely not good, and a potentially devastating health risk if that clot makes it way into the lungs, heart, or brain. Cholesterol comes from food, so what are good diets for high cholesterol so that you don’t get too much of the stuff?
The number one choice you can make is to completely cut out processed food from your diet. If you’re up for that challenge, here’s an interesting way of looking at it. Grocery stores – or at least the vast majority of them – are set up with the fresh foods (and the healthy stuff) around the outer edges of the store. There’s logistics related to that, but there’s a belief that if you only shop around outer edge of store and avoid the inner aisles you’ll be eating much healthier automatically.
Right, that’s not specific enough and we promised to diets for high cholesterol so let’s get back to that. Your doctor may insist on a medication like Simcor, and cholesterol lowering drugs do work very well to promote good (HDL) cholesterol abundance while getting rid of bad (LDL) cholesterol. But as is always the case if you can make your own additional lifestyle and diet changes you’re going to be staying way ahead of high cholesterol troubles. So what is a good diet for high cholesterol?
Go Aegean
The best choice among diets for high cholesterol will be ones that go heavy on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, skinless poultry, seafood, nuts, seeds and legumes. Alternatively, if you can cut down on your red meat intake it will be beneficial big time as well. That’s certainly not easy to do for people, but if you haven’t tried a good plant-based burger recipe you may be surprised just how tasty they actually can be.
But the real goods when it comes to the best of diets for high cholesterol is to eat a Mediterranean diet, or at least incorporate the principles of it into your meal plans. The main tenet of it is an abundance of plant foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and legumes, which are minimally processed, seasonally fresh, and grown locally. Pair eating this way with more frequent exercise and sleeping better and you’ll be well on your way to lowering your blood cholesterol levels.
Here’s a basic overview of how to start eating a Mediterranean diet. Perfectly doable even if you’ve never passed through the Strait of Gibraltar, or even been anywhere on the eastern side of the mighty Atlantic ocean.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The above information is intended to increase awareness of health information and does not suggest treatment or diagnosis. This information is not a substitute for individual medical attention and should not be construed to indicate that use of the drug is safe, appropriate, or effective for you. See your health care professional for medical advice and treatment.
