Our society is increasingly becoming obese. “Big is better” is the catch phrase, especially with the food in fast food chains and we are slowly but surely clogging our blood vessels with fats and cholesterol which is neither needed by our body nor can it be used.
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Hence the society is plagued by different types of cholesterol related health challenges such as heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and ofcourse, over weight problems. Of these rising incidence of hypertension is causing most concern because uncontrolled hypertension can lead to heart attacks if not handled in time.
How can a person lower his or her cholesterol levels? The only answer is a proper combination of regular exercise with planned diet. These two are inseparable components of the health plan. Without one the other cannot ensure health. Without exercise the muscles become weak and weak muscles mean lower resistance to disease.
On the other hand, only exercise without proper diet can lead to fatigue, damaged muscles and no nutrients in the body. Body weight will remain constant because diet continues to be normal. You may not gain weight since you are burning the calories that you consume. You will not lose any weight either.
Too much exercise can permanently damage the muscles and can even cause heart attack if the strain becomes too much for the heart.
What, then, is the ideal food plan to lower the cholesterol levels and prevent hypertension?
Eat less oil
A person on diet should stay away from foods that are deep fried or cooked using lots of oil. Potato chips,fried meat,french fries, fried seafood,fried vegetables and all such.
Oil becomes cholesterol in the body, as simple as that. Boiled, steamed, baked and braised foods are the ideal solution. While grilled food may be consumed, too much of it is also bad for health.
Eat less meat
Meats contain fats that translate into a lot of cholesterol. If eating meat is a must, try to reduce the frequency. When you do eat, avoid the fats that hang on the side. Chicken and Turkey meat are comparatively healthy and if you can, go for these as compared to the other varieties. The cholesterol content of white meat is concentrated on the skin of the meat, therefore, carefully remove the skin while preparing the meat food.
Eat vegetables
Apart from contributing a good amount of fiber that helps in digestion of food, vegetables also are zero cholesterol. Hence eat more vegetables as a rule.
Do not boil, but steam the vegetables. This will help retain the nutrients in them. Also while cooking the vegetables avoid oils or fats that contain cholesterol.
Eat less, period
Slowly reduce the food intake so that over a period of time your normal food intake reduces. You can reduce the number of times you eat per day. If you do like snacks, prefer fruits that are healthy.
Rice, cereals and bread are rich in carbohydrates that can generate cholesterol. Try and reduce the amount of carbohydrates through these staple foods. You can opt for healthier food like brown rice and wheat bread, instead.