A high-cholesterol diet by itself usually doesn't have the desired effect, it only helps when combined with taking medication. However, without it, the treatment will not work.
When compiling a menu, consider not only a person's blood cholesterol level, but also his gender and age. You don't need to give up such a diet, because in this case, you will have to stick to a therapeutic diet for the rest of your life.
What does high cholesterol mean?
Cholesterol is a steroid that is vital to the human body. It plays an important role in lipid metabolism and is involved in hormone production. This substance is present in all cells of the body, even in the brain. However, when cholesterol levels are elevated, the situation becomes dangerous.
Transport of cholesterol molecules to tissues is carried out with the help of proteins. They are of several types:
- High-density lipoprotein (HDL). This is called "good" cholesterol. They absorb excess fat, transport it to the liver, where it is processed into bile acids and excreted through the gut.
- Low density lipoprotein (LDL). This is "bad" cholesterol. They deliver their molecules to tissues. As LDL levels rise, excess of this substance can deposit and form plaques, which can lead to cardiovascular disease.
- Very low density lipoprotein (VLDL). They are considered the most dangerous type because they transport fats, such as triglycerides, from the liver to the tissues.
If you need a low cholesterol diet, it means that a person has high LDL levels and he needs to lower "bad" cholesterol.
Diet Basics
Low cholesterol diets with high levels of cholesterol have been observed throughout life. This is not a completely cholesterol-free diet because it is impossible to remove all cholesterol-containing foods from the diet. Recent studies have shown that if it is completely excluded, the condition can lead to neurological and endocrine disorders.
Basic principles of dietary nutrition:
- Eat at least 400 grams of fruits and vegetables a day. Their share can even increase. Starchy vegetables such as potatoes and squash are permitted, but in limited quantities and not exceeding physiologically acceptable standards. They are low in cholesterol, but they contain carbohydrates.
- If you don't have kidney disease, use plant protein at the expense of beans.
- Fractional nutrition, where the total amount of food is divided into 5-6 meals. This will help ensure gallbladder drainage.
- Limit salt intake to 5 grams per day.
- Excludes pickled, savory and smoked foods, sweet sodas.
- Sugar consumption is 5 teaspoons. in one day. Amounts are considered in total and include all beverages and dishes.
- weight control.
If necessary, you can spend your vegetable, apple or kefir fasting days. When overweight, start with a low-cholesterol diet of cottage cheese or fruits and vegetables, then move on to an anti-cholesterol nutrition plan.
Contraband
Standard low-density lipoprotein diets restrict or completely eliminate fat-rich foods. Prohibited include:
- Fatty meat and fish;
- internal organs;
- cream and fat milk;
- Margarine.
Because of this, you can reduce your cholesterol levels by 10-15%. Sometimes a diet isn't even necessary. It is enough to reject the listed products and to add more vegetables and fruits, fish and seafood, vegetable fats to the menu every day.
When compiling a diet, it is important to remember that in order to lower cholesterol, it is not necessary to eliminate fat completely. Their proportions are determined individually, depending on the severity of the disease. Sometimes it has to be reduced by 20%, but usually the limit is not that obvious. Vegetable oils should also be used with caution, not exceeding normal levels, as they can lead to the accumulation of harmful substances in the body.
High in sugar, reduce the amount of carbohydrates. But with normal body weight and glucose levels, the ratio of complex carbohydrates can be slightly increased to provide energy to the body.
In order to reduce the amount of fat and cholesterol in your daily menu, you must follow these rules:
- Remove fat from meat and skin from poultry;
- Vegetables are never cooked with meat because they absorb fat;
- Any recipe will fit this diet, reducing the fat content in it (for example, they take sour cream with lower fat content);
- Rice, mashed potatoes, pasta are all butter-free.
You should also use a nonstick pan to avoid deep frying.
Approved product
Low cholesterol diets allow the following products to be listed:
- Lean meat and fish. The most useful are cold sea fish, which contain omega-3 acids that affect fat metabolism.
- Vegetable oils that bind and remove cholesterol (not just olive oil, but also soybean or canola oil).
- Dairy products, including cottage cheese, sour cream, low-fat cheese.
- Nuts, especially walnuts and almonds, as they are rich in vitamins, folic acid, magnesium and arginine. However, they contain a lot of calories, so you need to eat them in small amounts.
- Grains - Buckwheat, Rice, Oatmeal.
- Eggs - no more than 2-4 per week, depending on health.
- soy products. They're very useful, but we're only talking about premium items, for example, you can eat tofu.
- Foods that contain dietary fiber are wheat and oat bran.
- Fruits, especially apples and citrus fruits, as they help lower blood pressure and prevent blood clots.
Bread is edible, but only in the form of yesterday's bake or toast. Tea is also included in the daily diet. But to reduce potential damage, it should be bland and contain minimal sugar.
menu
The need to follow an anti-cholesterol diet does not mean that a person is forced to eat the same dishes all the time.
With cholesterol-lowering foods, you can create healthy and delicious menus for proper nutrition.
citrus jam
Citrus fruits contain large amounts of pectin, which is involved in the digestive process. It forms a highly viscous substance that helps remove cholesterol from the body before it enters the bloodstream. Citrus fruits are fine in any form. They can be eaten raw, as part of fruit salads, and jams are made from them.
Ready to take:
- orange - 1;
- Grapefruit - 1;
- Lemon - 1;
- sugar - 0. 5 kg;
- Water - 500 ml.
cooking:
- Wash the citrus fruit and squeeze out the juice with the pulp.
- Cut the thick white fibers from the peel and cut into thin strips.
- Raw materials are placed in a pan.
- Add juice and water.
- Boil for 12-20 minutes.
- Add the sugar and keep the heat low until the mixture reaches a thick consistency. As it cools, it turns into jam.
Vanilla White Bean Soup
Legumes - lentils, beans, peas - contain dietary fiber useful for the cardiovascular system. They are high in protein and can replace fat in your diet. They are prepared in different ways. Mediterranean cuisine includes a variety of soy dishes. For example, you can make white bean soup with herbs.
For this you will need:
- Dried white beans - 1 tablespoon;
- Bulb - 1;
- carrot - 1;
- Chopped Celery Stalk - 1 pc. ;
- Weak chicken soup - 0. 5 l;
- water - 0. 5 l;
- Salt and spices - to taste.
cooking:
- The beans are soaked overnight and then boiled for 2 hours. The result is a finished product of approximately 500-600 grams.
- Simmer onions, carrots and celery for 8-10 minutes.
- Pour the beans into the pot and add the vegetables.
- Pour in broth and water.
- Add salt and spices.
- Bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat for another 15 minutes.
- Half of the legumes are removed from the soup, whipped in a blender, and returned to the remaining ingredients.
It turned out to be a very thick soup with different types of fresh herbs added before serving.
carrot slices
Carrots are another product that can lower cholesterol, including pectin in them. With it you can cook meatballs.
necessary:
- medium carrots - 3;
- Eggs - 3 pcs. ;
- Flour - about 5-6 tablespoons. l. With a slide;
- Salt - to taste.
cooking:
- Grate carrots on a coarse grater.
- Add eggs, flour and salt.
- Everything is mixed.
- Cutlets are formed and cooked in a nonstick frying pan without oil or in the oven, flipping a few times.
Bell Pepper Salad
Bell peppers help strengthen blood vessels and remove cholesterol. You can make a healthy salad with it.
For this you need:
- peppers - 2;
- red onion - 2;
- vegetables - to taste;
- Vegetable oil - for flavoring.
cooking:
- Cut vegetables.
- Sprinkle with herbs.
- Filled with vegetable oil.
Baked Eggplant with Ham
These vegetables contain a lot of potassium, which normalizes metabolism. You can bake eggplant with low-fat ham.
This will require:
- Eggplants - 2;
- ham - 100 g;
- Low-fat sour cream - 3 tbsp. l. ;
- grated cheese - 70-80 g;
- Vegetables - to taste.
cooking:
- Wash the eggplant, cut in half, and spread on a baking sheet.
- Ham is crushed and mixed with chopped herbs.
- Add sour cream.
- Spread the mixture over the eggplants and bake for 15 minutes.
You can try any familiar recipe and change the ingredients to something more useful.
high cholesterol diet for women
Normal blood cholesterol levels do not require an anti-cholesterol diet, and it can even be harmful. Therefore, it is necessary to know the indicators that indicate such nutrients. For women, this criterion is reflected in the table below:
| age | Total cholesterol, mmol/L | "Bad" cholesterol, mmol/l | "Useful" cholesterol, mmol/l |
| 35-40 years old | up to 6. 27 | Not higher than 4. 45 | not higher than 2. 12 |
| 40-45 years old | up to 6. 53 | Not higher than 4. 51 | not higher than 2. 28 |
| 45-50 years old | up to 6. 66 | Not higher than 4. 82 | not higher than 2. 25 |
| 50-55 years old | up to 7. 15 | Not higher than 5. 21 | not higher than 2. 38 |
| 55-60 years old | up to 7. 77 | not higher than 5. 44 | not higher than 2. 35 |
| 60-65 years old | up to 7. 69 | not higher than 5. 80 | not higher than 2. 38 |
It is necessary to pass appropriate blood tests and act on the results. If "bad" cholesterol is higher than normal, you need an anti-cholesterol diet. It has been noticed for a long time. Depending on health conditions, lifetime use may be required.
A sample menu for women's 7 days looks like this:
| day of the week | diet |
| on Monday |
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| Tuesday |
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| Wednesday |
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| Thursday |
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| Friday |
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| Saturday |
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| Sunday |
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This menu has been adjusted to reflect age and other chronic conditions. For example, women over 60 should limit meat and eat more fish and dairy. This is especially true for people with arthritis and joint disease, as meat contains substances that promote joint inflammation. For high sugar, you need to limit carbohydrates.
Features of Anti-Cholesterol Diets for Men
The cholesterol standard table for men is as follows:
| age | Total cholesterol, mmol/L | "Bad" cholesterol, mmol/l | "Useful" cholesterol, mmol/l |
| 35-40 years old | up to 6. 99 | Not higher than 4. 90 | not higher than 1. 60 |
| 40-45 years old | up to 6. 94 | Not higher than 4. 82 | not higher than 1. 73 |
| 45-50 years old | up to 7. 15 | Not higher than 5. 23 | not higher than 1. 66 |
| 50-55 years old | up to 7. 17 | not higher than 5. 10 | not higher than 1. 63 |
| 55-60 years old | up to 7. 15 | not higher than 5. 26 | no higher than 1. 84 |
| 60-65 years old | up to 7. 15 | not higher than 5. 44 | not higher than 1. 91 |
A sample menu for a man's week might look like this:
| day of the week | diet |
| on Monday |
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| Tuesday |
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| Wednesday |
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| Thursday |
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| Friday |
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| Saturday |
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| Sunday |
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Men also have age-related dietary characteristics associated with a gradual reduction in physical activity and thus require less protein than high-intensity training.
Nutritional age characteristics
With bad cholesterol rising, you'll need to monitor your diet, but it's important to take age-related characteristics into account.
under 40
The metabolic rate remains high, but gradually begins to decline. The main task of the diet is to speed up the metabolic process.
At this time, animal protein is still very important, so you need to maintain the consumption of lean meat at least 3-4 times a week.
40-50 years old
At this point, hormones in the body begin to change, reducing the need for animal protein.
It is recommended to reduce meat consumption to 2 times a week and include more fish dishes in the diet. Instead of coffee, drink herbal or ginger tea.
50-60 years old
The rate of metabolic processes continues to slow down, which also reduces the effect of cholesterol, and such amounts of cholesterol are no longer needed.
At this point, whole milk should be completely abandoned and replaced with yogurt products.
60 years later
Meat can only be eaten once a week, eggs - up to 3 times a week. The body may be deficient in iron and iodine, so it is recommended to eat more foods containing these substances such as buckwheat and sea fish.
overweight diet
Dietary nutrition, starting at a specific age, is necessary for everyone, regardless of weight. But if a person is severely obese, a low-carb plan is needed.
Therefore, sweets, pastries, some fruits (grapes and dates) are removed from the diet, leaving only the healthy carbohydrates contained in grains, vegetables, etc.