›› Low Cholestrol Diet

If you would like to follow a low cholesterol diet the first step is to be mindful of everything you eat. It is important to think about what each food you eat is made of, and how it will affect your cholesterol level, and ultimately your health. To lower your cholesterol, you will need to lower the amount of fat you intake. However, fat isn't the only culprit in high cholestrol. Sodium can also affect your cholesterol level, so any good low cholesterol diet should also consider sodium levels.

›› Meats

When following a low cholstrol diet, considering the type of meat to eat is very important. Red meat is often high in fat and can negatively affect your cholstrol. Meats like chicken and seafood often contain less fat and are healthier alternatives. Turkey meat is a great alternative to ground beef that won't increase your cholestrol levels.

›› Fats

In general, you will want to limit the amount of fat in your diet to lower your cholestrol. It is also important to understand what types of fats are better than others. Fats can either be saturated or unsatureated. Saturated fats are bad for you health and cholestrol levels. Saturated fats are fats that remain solid at room temperature, these are found mostly in meats and dairy products with whole milk. Unsaturated fats are less likely to raise your cholestrol and some unsaturated fats like olive oil, peanut oil, and canola oil can actually help lower your cholesterol. Try to use canola or olive oil to help lower your cholesterol levels.

›› Fiber and Carbohydrates

You will want to incrase your intake of fiber and complex carbohydrates as part of your low cholesterol diet. A good amount of fiber is about 20-30 grams of fiber a day. Complex carbohydrates are made from wholegrain. Foods such as wholegrain bread, brown rice, oatmeal are all complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates are good for you because they take longer to break down into glucose. Since they take longer, they supply you with energy for many hours to come and are less likely to be convereted into fat, like with simple sugars.