Diet Chart for Cholesterol Control

Due to the growing popularity of junk food, the demands of the diet chart for cholesterol control are seen to be increasing day by day. People have also become quite careless about their health and eat anything to fill their stomach. Moreover, to appeal to their taste buds, consumption of fried foods has reached a peak.

“Some body functions need cholesterol to function properly but too much of cholesterol in the bloodstream can cause damage to arteries hence leading to a heart attack or stroke” says the well-recognized RDN Danielle Gaffen. Her statement is an actual example of the phrase “excess of everything is bad” as basic cholesterol is required for several body functions, but excess of it is harmful for the body. However, with the help of a proper diet chart for cholesterol control, one can expect stable health.

What is cholesterol and how does it affect health?

Cholesterol can be explained as a fat-like waxy substance found in the blood and all cells of a body. It is made in the liver and can cause various complexities if present in excess. Basically, cholesterol is a lipid that is found in blood.

Cholesterol is an important component of the animal cell membrane. It is not bad in certain amounts as it contributes in the manufacture of cell walls, tissues, hormones, vitamin D,  bile acid and many more biological as well as biochemical processes. Therefore, cholesterol in moderate amounts is essential for the body to function well and for good health.

However, when cholesterol levels of a person rise, the health is affected severely. This is because high levels of cholesterol can deposit in the arteries and cause hardening. This process is medically termed as atherosclerosis.

Cholesterol level of 200 or less is considered to be normal whereas above 240 is considered bad.

What are the causes of high cholesterol?

High cholesterol can often be a threat to one’s health and a normal lifestyle. There are a variety of causes for high cholesterol and they are listed below:

●     Unhealthy eating

Excessive Consumption of food rich in saturated fats or trans fats can lead to high levels of cholesterol. Moreover, food items like red meat, fried food, packaged snacks, desserts etc. are known to be highly responsible for conditions like cholesterol.

●     Lack of exercise

Exercise is a basic activity that must be included in everyone’s daily schedule. This is because regular exercise helps to boost high density lipoprotein in the body. HDL is known as the healthy cholesterol in the body.

●     Obesity

A person is considered obese if the BMI is equal to 30 or more. Obesity is becoming a common condition and is highly responsible for problems like cholesterol.

●     Age

Cholesterol has been shown more in people in their mid forties’. Moreover, as the human body ages, the tendency of the liver to remove bad cholesterol also known as the low density lipoproteins (LDL) decreases. LDL is the unhealthy cholesterol and transports cholesterol all over the body and blood.

●     An underlying health condition

Various underlying health conditions are accompanied by high levels of cholesterol. Some of these conditions are listed below:

1)Chronic kidney disease

2)Diabetes

3)HIV/AIDS

4)Hypothyroidism

5)Lupus

●     Medications

High cholesterol can be a result of consumption of several medicines prescribed for other health conditions like:

1)Acne

2)Cancer

3)High blood pressure

4)HIV/AIDS

5)Irregular heart rhythms

6)Organ transplants

●     Other factors

Excessive consumption of alcohol and smoking activities can increase the cholesterol level in the body and reduce the levels of HDL.

Best and worst food items in case of high cholesterol levels

There is a very common saying that you Are what you eat. This means that your diet is a reflection of your health. So if you eat healthy, you look healthy and you lead a healthy life ahead. Which is why your cholesterol levels are associated with the food choices you make. They contribute a lot to a diet chart for cholesterol control. All of this is elucidated below:

Foods to reduce cholesterol and increase HDL high density lipoprotein

Consumption of the following foods will definite help to increase high density lipoprotein in the body and they must be included in a diet chart for cholesterol control:

• Oats and oat bran
• Flax seeds and flax oil
• Whole grains and cereals
• Chia seeds
• Fatty fish like salmon, sardines, rainbow trout etc
• Beans and legumes
• Soy based products
• Olive oil and other vegetable oils like sunflower oil, canola oil etc
• Brown rice

Nuts to control cholesterol

• almonds
• peanuts
• pistachios
• Walnuts
• Cashews

Fruits to reduce cholesterol

• Avocados
• Prunes
• Apples
• Pears
• Citrus fruits like oranges, tangerine, lime etc

Vegetables to reduce cholesterol

• Eggplant
• Okra
• Spinach and other green leafy vegetables
• Broccoli
• Sweet potatoes

10 Foods to avoid when having a high cholesterol

In case of a high cholesterol levels, the following ten food items must be excluded from the diet chart for cholesterol control:

• Processed meats like ham, bacon, pork, lamb, red meat, salami etc
• Deep fried foods
• Full fat dairy products like full fat milk, yoghourt etc
• Butter and ghee
• Any food item containing “hydrogenated oils” in the ingredients
• Junk food or fast food
• Desserts and sweets
• Processed foods such as biscuits and chips
• Baked goods such as Paes, Cakes , pastries, muffins etc
• Coconut oil, palm oil or any saturated oil

7 Day Diet Chart for Cholesterol Control

An easy to follow seven day diet chart for cholesterol control has been devised. It is really effective and does wonders when practised with appropriate exercise. This diet chart for cholesterol control can be practised for reducing the cholesterol levels in the body or to stay safe from future problems on your own end.

Day 1

Breakfast- oats

• 1 cup oatmeal boiled in moderate amount of water
• Followed by addition of 1 cup low fat milk
• This can be topped with a medium sized banana or other berries if required

Lunch- tuna wrap sandwich

• Diced Tuna fish mixed with diced celery, red bell pepper and nonfat greek yoghourt
• Add salt to it and pack it in a whole wheat wrap
• You can consume it with another green leafy veggie like boiled spinach

Dinner- chicken breast

• 4 ounces of grilled chicken breast mixed with two cups of boiled broccoli
• One medium baked sweet potato

Day 2

Breakfast- boiled eggs and sandwich

• One hard boiled eggs with Two slices of whole wheat bread
• It can be consumed with a half avocado
• Further, a fruit like orange or tangarine can be added to complete the breakfast

Lunch- grilled chicken salad

• The salad can be prepared by mixing 3 ounces of chicken with two cups of lettuce, two slices of tomato, four cucumber slices and a half cup of black beans
• The lunch can be completed with an apple

Dinner- salmon and rice

• Four ounces of boiled salmon seasoned with salt and chilli pepper
• One cup cooked brown rice
• The dinner platter can be completed with the addition of two cups of green beans

Day 3

Breakfast- cereal

• 1 cup whole grain cereal
• To it, add one cup low fat milk
• Complete your breakfast by eating a peach

Lunch- turkey sandwich

• Turkey sandwich made from three ounces of turkey, two slices of whole wheat bread, lettuce and diced tomatoes, topped with 1 teaspoon mustard
• A few shelled walnut halves

Dinner- steak

• 3 ounces grilled sirloin steak
• One medium sized baked potato
• ¼ cup of low fat Greek yogurt
• One cup grilled summer squash

Day 4

Breakfast- egg sandwich

• One cooked egg diced and one slice of Swiss cheese on whole wheat bread slices
• This can be complemented with a cup of coffee made from low fat milk

Lunch- veggie burger

• About 70g veggie patty packed in a 6 inch whole wheat pita
• You can add chopped lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and mayonnaise

Dinner- spinach lasagna and green salad

• To a package of no boil lasagna noodles, you can add tomato sauce, two cloves of garlic, mozzarella cheese, spinach and spice it up with oregano and chilli flakes.
• The dinner can be served with a salad of lettuce greens and vinaigrette

Day 5

Breakfast- muffin and banana

• A medium sized high fibre muffin made from rolled oats and preferably low sugar
• One medium sized banana

Lunch- bean burritos

• Mix 1/4 cup mashed black beans in some cheese along with diced lettuce, tomato and add it to an eight-inch whole-wheat tortilla
• The lunch can be completed with a high fibre fruit like apple

Dinner- pork with veggies

• Some roasted pork chop can be mixed with a cup of greens beans with lemon and garlic
• This can be served with a sweet potatoes

Day 6

Breakfast- blueberry pancakes

•  Three whole wheat blueberry pancakes topped with maple syrup or honey
• Half a cup of Greek yogurt mixed with some sliced strawberries, or other berries and topped with dry fruits

Lunch- chicken and broccoli

• 3 ounces of chicken mixed with a cup of boiled broccoli fried in 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and some soya sauce
• It can be consumed with some brown rice

Dinner- salad

• 1 cup chopped lettuce, one cup chopped celery, mixed with some lemon juice, salt to taste, black pepper, and garnish with coriander leaves
• This can be consumed with a fruit salad of Apple, Pear and orange

Day 7

Breakfast- spinach omelette

• To two whole eggs, add half cup of finely chopped spinach, salt to taste and some Swiss cheese
• Fry it in olive oil and garnish with some oregano
• You can consume it with whole wheat bread slices

Lunch-hamburger

• 3 ounces lean meat, lettuce, tomato, onion can be used on a whole-wheat bun to make a perfect hamburger
• Some baked or air fried French fries preferably made at home

Dinner-boiled chicken

• Some Boiled chicken seasoned with coriander leaves, salt, oregano and chilli flakes for flavour
• This can be eaten with brown rice

Such a diet chart for cholesterol control will keep you healthy and in check. It includes mostly the basic components that are easily available in the market. The above diet chart for cholesterol control aims to provide 1800 to 2000 calories per day and is low in saturated fat.

Dos and don’ts in case of high cholesterol

 Dos in high cholesterol level

●      Consumption

The following must be consumed as a natural remedy:

1.     Garlic

A  person having high cholesterol level should consume at least a half Clove of garlic everyday as an effective and natural remedy

2.     Lemon juice

Consuming lemon juice everyday can lower body cholesterol and ensures cardiovascular health

3.     Teas

Green tea and black tea also help in lowering cholesterol

●      Exercise

Exercise helps in increasing HDL and reduces cholesterol in blood.  Following are some of the exercises that can be done to reduce high cholesterol:

1)     Cardio exercise

Activities like walks, jogging, running and other cardio activities help in controlling body fat and reducing cholesterol in body

2)     Swimming

Swimming is an activity that targets all body muscles and helps in toning the body along with cholesterol control.

3)     yoga

Being an ancient practice, yoga has always proven to be the best for every health related issue.

●      Control and patience

Having some self control on eating habits will definitely lead to betterment. Moreover, patience and consistency are as important. Having a diet chart for cholesterol control will be very effective when done with good exercises.

Don’ts in high cholesterol levels

●      Consumption

Humidity consumption of meat and other animal products that are rich in trans-fat. Moreover, fried foods and junk food are also to be avoided

●      Salt content

Salt content in diet would not directly affect your cholesterol levels but would maintain a healthy blood pressure which eliminates the risk of heart diseases due to high cholesterol.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)