If you are working on reducing your cholesterol, well good for you! At times, this can seem like a serious pain and you might become frustrated. However, sticking with the plan is the key and you will be very happy when your cholesterol shows the effects of all the work you have done. Finding a cholesterol reducing recipe that you love doesn’t have to be that hard! Here are some great tips to finding one that you will enjoy over and over again.

Cooking for Low Cholesterol

When you’re cooking, there are many different things you can do to reduce the cholesterol in your favorite foods. When cooking meats such as hamburgers, pork chops or steak, it’s important to broil them instead of pan frying them on the top of the stove. You can use a rack to catch the fat from the meat as it broils. If you want to baste the meat, rather than using the oils and drippings, substitute with oil based marinade. Another thing you can do is cook your foods one day in advance. If you haven’t heard it yet, bad fat can be translated into fat that hardens. When you cook meat or stocks, refrigerate for a day and you can remove the hardened fat from the food. These are some great techniques to create a cholesterol reducing recipe.

Seasoning and Flavoring Your Foods

Rather than using the ordinary fats, condiments and seasonings to flavor the food that you cook, you can find some great substitutes to do the trick. For instance, rather than using salt on all of your favorite foods, you can use lemon juice. This creates a nice tang which accents and flavors the food – and it’s healthy for you! Another tip is to use fresh or dried herbs to flavor foods. For instance, when flavoring baked potatoes, use a blend of chopped green onions, parsley, chives and fresh ground black pepper. This gives a great flavor without the use of butter and salt. Herbs and juices like these are a must in a cholesterol reducing recipe.

What to Avoid:

You definitely want to stay away from cholesterol! Check the labels on your favorite foods and opt for those low in cholesterol. Stay away from the bad fats as well. Those include sweet cakes, cookies, cheeses, butter, high fat milk, mayonnaise, eggs and other high fat foods. Substitute these with healthier options like natural and healthy oils, oats and whole grain foods, low fat or skim milk, herbs and other healthy foods. This will help you lower your cholesterol and create a cholesterol reducing recipe easily. Experiment in the kitchen using healthy foods that promote health and wellness. Place great tasting things together and use healthy flavoring objects. Learning to cook and create a cholesterol reducing recipe isn’t that difficult. It’s a matter of commitment and dedication. When you start feeling amazing due to your new cooking techniques, you will be even more motivated! Good luck.

When it comes to a diet for lowering cholesterol, most people are confused as to exactly what they should be eating and just as importantly, what they should not be eating.

Here I will outline a brief idea on what sorts of foods you can eat that will assist in lowering your cholesterol. I am not providing a complete sample diet for lowering cholesterol, but this is something you can work off and work to include in your diet on a day to day basis. If you follow these guidelines and include most, if not all of these foods, then your cholesterol should start to lower. You can check your cholesterol every few months to see if your new diet is having a positive effect. If it is not and you have ruled out other causes of your high cholesterol, then you will most likely need to refine your diet even further by completely eliminating any foods that increase your cholesterol. (more…)

To maintain a healthy heart, you must adapt to a cholesterol-friendly diet.  By implementing changes in your diet, your cholesterol level can be reduced as much as 15 percent or more.

Fats consumed should be no more than 35% of your daily calories.  Total calories from saturated fats should be less than seven percent.  Try to consume enough calories to maintain a lower cholesterol level.  However, if you have a high cholesterol level, check with your physician for fat intake recommendations.

You should actually limit your salt (sodium) intake to 2400 milligrams a day.  Reducing your intake is preferred; However, sea salt can be used if necessary. Too much salt intake can cause high cholesterol levels.

To keep your cholesterol levels down, eat foods that contain soluble fiber.  Soluble fiber is fiber that digests slowly.  Some examples of this are oat bran, barley, beans, peas, fruits and vegetables.  If there is still more Low Density Lipoproteins than needed, you can eat more soluble fibers to lower your cholesterol level. (more…)