Why Avoid High Cholesterol Food
Eat a balanced diet. Exercise. Drink plenty of water. Those, among others, have been our golden credos growing up. We have been told time and again the same things by our parents, mentors, friends and doctors that’s probably why we believed and lived them. The fact of the matter is that your health lies directly in your hands. As far as your cholesterol and its levels are concerned (unless you have an existent medical condition that prompts you to follow a strict diet or take prescribed medication), you have complete rein over your health. It is the most important asset we have and it’s unfortunate that we only realize it too late when we are already faced with an emergency situation like a heart attack.
Cholesterol and Its Effects In Our Health
Cholesterol is a waxy-like substance typically found in our blood stream. Although the liver produces cholesterol, it can also be derived from several foods that’s why we must be conscious of our diet.
There are two main types of cholesterol and they are: low-density lipoprotein LDL cholesterol, also called the bad cholesterol because large amounts of it can clog the arteries and promote heart diseases.
High-density cholesterol or HDL helps eliminate the LDL cholesterol from the blood stream significantly lowering the risks of heart attack; for this reason, it is known as good cholesterol. Cholesterol is essential to your body because it produces cell membrane, tissues and several other hormones. However, it must be maintained at a certain acceptable level in order for it to be healthy and not cause a serious risk to your existence.
Watch Out for High Cholesterol Foods
The most effective way to curb the levels of cholesterol is to be cautious of eating high cholesterol foods. Teach yourself to control your intake of fatty foods as much as possible. You can do this by first distinguishing high cholesterol foods such as poultry, fish, seafood, egg yolk, meat and dairy products. Enlightening yourself on what types of high cholesterol foods you should avoid or how you can replace them with low cholesterol foods will prove to be a big leap towards a better and healthier living. Remember that high cholesterol foods should not be entirely avoided as lots of them are important for a balanced diet. Nevertheless, you should learn to reduce your intake of these foods in order to maintain or lower your LDL cholesterol levels.
This is a common misconception—overweight people face a higher risk of high cholesterol but that doesn’t mean lean people are off the hook. Cholesterol is affected by neither weight nor age but is influenced by the type of food you eat and the activities you do everyday. Eat healthy foods, exercise and stay away from vices that could harm your body. Learn about the special needs or your body and follow your doctor’s advice regarding proper diet in order to lead a healthy and blissful life.
