What Is Cholesterol & Ways To Reduce It

Cholesterol is a fatty substance that is found naturally in all human and animal tissues. It is part of normal cell structure and is essential to a number of body processes, such as the formation of certain hormones.

Cholesterol is an important ingredient of bile, which is made in the liver and released into the duodenum via the gall bladder. Bile aids the digestion of fatty foods. Cholesterol is carried in the blood stream linked to special proteins known as lipoproteins.

Much of the cholesterol present in the diet is absorbed for the body to utilise. However since the body can synthesise all the cholesterol it needs in the liver and other cells, a dietary intake of cholesterol is not needed.

“Although cholesterol is essential to sustain life, too much cholesterol in the blood can cause serious health problems”

HOW TO REDUCE YOUR BLOOD CHOLESTEROL LEVEL.

1. Take regular exercise- at least 20 minutes of continuous activity three times a week.

2. Change to a low-fat diet, using the following guidelines:

• Use goats butter
• Use rice milk or oat milk instead of dairy
• Eat low-fat rather than full-fat cheese, a little of goats cheese
• Eat more fish and less meat
• Opt for lean meat and always remove visible fat (especially chicken skin as it is fatty)
• Grill & steam food – do not fry.
• Drain off any fat released from meat during cooking
• Always read the labels on supermarket foods and choose products that are low in fat.
• Avoid chocolates, cakes, biscuits, sweets, full-fat ice-cream and crisps
• For cooking, choose vegetable oils, such as sunflower, bean oils, or coconut oil, rather than lard or butter, and use sparingly.
• Olive oil should only be used raw and cold – do not heat olive oil
• Avoid vegetable oils that contain palm

3. Eat more fibre-rich, starchy foods such as:

• Whole grain cereals, especially whole oats with bran
• Whole meal, granary, wheat meal, or oat bran bread
• Brown rice
• Kumut or spelt pasta
• Peas, beans and lentils
• Nuts and dried fruit, such as apricots or raisins, make sure your apricots are un-sulphured
• Bananas (for easier digestion please make sure bananas are speckled and ripe), oranges, un -peeled organic apples and pears