Adopting healthy diet free of cholesterol habits in everyday life is very important. The reason is, excessive cholesterol levels in the body, especially LDL, can cause various serious health problems. One of them triggers the risk of heart disease that can be life-threatening. Let’s discuss in more detail.
Healthy Diet Guide Free of Cholesterol That Needs to be Tried
Basically, cholesterol is a fat compound that is naturally present in the human body. They have a fairly important role in biological functions. Such as forming cell membranes, producing hormones and producing vitamin D.
However, high levels of bad cholesterol are very detrimental. High cholesterol often does not show clear symptoms. But the long-term effects can be very dangerous.
Excess LDL cholesterol can build up on the walls of the arteries. Then form plaque that causes narrowing or blockage of blood vessels. This increases the risk of coronary heart disease, heart attack and stroke.
Plaque that forms in the arteries can make the heart work harder to pump blood, so that blood pressure increases. Blockage of arteries due to high cholesterol also reduces blood flow to various organs of the body. Causing pain, fatigue or even organ dysfunction. To avoid it, you can apply a healthy diet free cholesterol as follows.
1. Choose Intake with Healthy Fats
Avoid saturated or trans fats that we generally find in processed foods, fried foods and margarine. Instead, consume sources of healthy fats ranging from olive oil, avocados and fish such as tuna or salmon. A number of these healthy fatty fish generally contain omega-3 which is good for maintaining heart health.
2. Increase Fiber Intake
Soluble fiber helps lower cholesterol by binding it in the intestines. Then remove it from the body through feces. Some good sources of fiber can be obtained from green vegetables such as kale.
According to Dr. Liu, the best health expert, on YouTube Healthy Immune Doc, 150 ml of kale juice that we consume regularly for 3 weeks can significantly lower cholesterol. However, this does not have a big impact if the cholesterol sufferer is an active smoker.
If you don’t really like kale juice, you can also mix it with some other ingredients such as fruits. For example apples, oranges and pears. They are also effective in lowering bad cholesterol levels in the body. In addition, blueberries, strawberries and raspberries are also rich in antioxidants and fiber. 3. Increase Vegetable Protein
Plant ingredients are lower in cholesterol than animal protein. So it is very suitable if we adopt it in a healthy diet free of cholesterol. Some good alternatives include tofu, tempeh, soy milk and chia seeds. Grains such as almonds and walnuts can also be the best options.
4. Limit Sugar
Foods high in sugar and processed carbohydrates, such as bread, cakes and sweet drinks, can increase triglyceride levels. A condition that contributes to the risk of heart disease. So to avoid it, replace it with brown rice or whole wheat bread. If you like tea, you should choose plain green tea which contains catechins. This is very effective in helping to lower LDL cholesterol. This can also be a safe menu for diabetics.
5. Avoid Fast Food
Fast food often contains trans fats, high sodium and additives that increase cholesterol levels. Therefore, always make sure to avoid it. Choose fresh food and cook it yourself at home for better control.
Those are some guidelines in implementing a healthy diet free of cholesterol. With discipline and consistency, a healthy cholesterol-free diet can support a longer and better quality life. Don’t forget to balance it with regular exercise and enough rest. Also avoid smoking and drinking alcohol. Hope it helps! /Edit
