Here is a diet plan and a video on foods that can lower cholesterol

Robina 7 Day Doctors and Acupuncture recommends this video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZwkQ7j5Ikw

If you’re aiming for lower cholesterol levels over the year ahead, following a clear cholesterol diet plan is a fantastic way to build good habits.

Previously, it was thought that reducing cholesterol involved cutting out foods high in dietary cholesterol content, like eggs or shrimp, but these days a cholesterol-lowering diet looks very different. More recent studies show that the amount of saturated fat in your diet, and what you replace it with, is much more important – among other things.

How to plan a cholesterol-lowering diet

  1. Include plenty of fruit and vegetables. While this doesn’t actively reduce cholesterol , getting your five-a-day is the basis of any healthy diet. When making your plan, include vegetables as side dishes, meat alternatives, or use them to bulk up one-pot dishes like curries and casseroles. Fruit makes a great dessert or cereal topping, and a tasty smoothie makes a great breakfast.
  2. Get fat-savvy . Saturated fats, found in butter, full fat milk, cheese, meat products (as well as many prepared foods) have been linked to an increase in LDL or “bad” cholesterol – something you’ll need to take into account when planning a diet for lowering cholesterol. Replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats in the diet has been shown to lower blood cholesterol.
    • In your plan, replace foods high in saturated fat with foods such as nuts, seeds, avocados, vegetable oils and vegetable oil based spreads, and oily fish.
    • Making a spontaneous buy? Check the saturated fat content of prepared foods by looking at the nutrition labels.
  3. Embrace reduced fat and unsaturated fat alternatives . While many (full fat) dairy products are high in saturated fat, you don’t have to avoid dairy in your plan – switching from full fat milk to skimmed milk, full fat cheese to reduced fat cheese, is another way to reduce the amount of saturated fat in your diet. This frees up space in the recommended total daily fat intake for more foods high in unsaturated fat.
  4. Make room for high fibre foods in your plan- OAT BRAN can lower your cholesterol by 10% and is easy to integrate into any diet.

    To up your fibre intake, choose brown and wholegrain versions of cupboard staples like bread, pasta, and rice. Getting plenty of fruit and vegetables is also important.  Along with grains like oats or barley – consider including oat cereal or porridge topped with chopped dried or fresh fruit in your  plan. A daily intake of 3g of beta-glucan (a kind of fibre found in oats) can lower cholesterol as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle.Pulses like beans, lentils, and peas are also great sources of fibre, easy to slip into stews, curries, or chunky soups.

  5. Buy oily fish like herring, mackerel, sardines, salmon, and trout, and write them into your plan once a week. Oily fish is rich in flavour as well as in unsaturated fat.  As part of an overall healthy balanced diet, which helps maintain cholesterol levels.
    • Mackerel with Moroccan Spices – this vibrant recipe looks stunning on the plate and uses a delicious blend of spices.
    • Baked Trout with Almonds – boasting the benefits of nuts and oily fish. This delicately flavoured dish is wonderful with crushed potatoes and fresh greens.
    • Fish pie – salmon baked in a rich, creamy mash: undeniably comforting, utterly delicious.
  6. Pick up plant sterols . A daily consumption of 1.5 – 2.4g of plant sterols can lower cholesterol by 7-10% in 2-3 weeks, as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle with sufficient fruit and vegetables. They are are found in small amounts in vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds.

CARDIOVASCULAR RISK CALCULATOR

Do you need cholesterol lowering tablets?  Take the cardiovascular risk calculator and find out – if your score is over 10% you should see your doctor.

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