The Cholesterol Challenge

You just had your yearly check-up and your doctor announced that your cholesterol is 220 milligrams.  You thought your high fiber diet would have been enough to take it down to under 200 mg; but no, you are hit with 220 mg.  So what do you do?  How about going meatless on Mondays and eating only fish on Wednesdays and Fridays?  I'm doing it so why not join me?

What Exactly is Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a lipid(fat) like substance that is naturally produced by the liver.  Your cell walls contain cholesterol and your body uses cholesterol to make some hormones, vitamin D and bile salts to help you digest fat. Cholesterol is found in foods from animal sources such as, milk, cheese, high fat meat, and foods high in saturated fat.  So, contrary to what most people think, foods like potato chips have no cholesterol but if they are cooked in animal fat, they could be high in saturated fat. This is depended upon the oil they are cooked in.  Always read the labels; they are not perfect, but they are extremely helpful.

Reducing Cholesterol Naturally

The National Cholesterol Education Program recommends a consumption of less than 200 milligrams of cholesterol per day.  Too much cholesterol can lead to plaque forming in your arteries, which in turn can lead to heart disease.  Those for whom heart disease runs in the family, should take these recommendation seriously.  Use an online food diary to track your calories, fiber and cholesterol intake.  Daily monitoring is very helpful as it helps you stay on track.  Besides, when you watch what you eat, you tend to eat less; therefore, you are addressing cholesterol and weight issues at the same time.

You can give yourself a few months before revisiting your doctor to get your lipids rechecked. Because I am also cholesterol conscious, I invite you to join me in this challenge.  Simply subcribe to Fat Secret online food diary to track your calories, fiber, cholesterol and etc. http://wwwfatsecret.com/

Foods to avoid or consume rarely: 

Egg yolk
No fried foods

High fat cuts of beef

Organ meats such as liver

Processed and luncheon meats

High in fat milk, cheese and butter

Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils

Baked goods/candy make with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils

The Challenge Rules:

Meatless Mondays

Fish on Wednesdays and Fridays

Track your daily cholesterol intake on an online food diary

Report back here with your results