QUESTION: Trying to find a diet that meets with all the restrictions on cholesterol is easier said than done.
They are all too complicated.
I just need a few simple rules that I can follow.
Why don't you just give us all a few useful tips, and let common sense do the rest? Please?
ANSWER: As you probably know, cholesterol is a substance found in dairy products, eggs and fatty meats; a diet overly rich in these foods results in a cholesterol build-up in blood vessels that can lead to chest pains angina and heart attacks. Cholesterol is not automatically a killer; in fact, the substance is produced naturally by the liver, and is found in all body cells.
Certain forms of cholesterol, known as "high density lipoproteins," are thought to protect one from coronary disease.
The famous "polyunsaturated fats" of TV advertising fame belong in this latter group, and should be used in place of saturated fats found in animal and dairy products.
Avoid butter, animal fats and coconut oil in favor of fish oils, corn oil, safflower, sunflower, and soybean oils. Contemporary health guidelines recommend that fats should comprise no more than 30 percent of your daily caloric intake, and saturated fats one-third of that amount 10 percent of your daily calorie total.
Try using margarine in place of butter, skim or low fat milk in place of whole milk, fish and poultry instead of red meats, while taking it easy on eggs (no more than three a week) and avoiding cheeses other than ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan and low fat cottage cheese.
Diets may sound complicated, but modern nutritional information found on most packaged foods and some of your common sense will make choosing the right foods a relatively painless task.
The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace the counsel and advice of your personal physician.
Promptly consulting your doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical problem.
