"Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are," said the French philosopher. Two hundred years later, doctors agree. If you eat unhealthy, you end up unhealthy. Here we focus on just one of many dietary villains: cholesterol, and his sidekick, triglycerides. If you want to steer clear of heart and artery disease, then you must understand the unhealthy nexus between the cholesterol- (and triglyceride-) laden food you consume and cardio-vascular disease. This understanding is crucial to making an informed decision about your choice of food, because that's going to affect your health and your life.
Health magazines and sites warn you about the dangers of cholesterol. They say that high levels of cholesterol in your diet can and do lead to serious heart problems like strokes, heart attacks, heart disease, and artery disease. These serious ailments and conditions are further aggravated if you smoke, or suffer from hypertension and obesity, or have a hereditary condition.
Cholesterol comes in two flavors: good (HDL) and bad (LDL). As the names imply, good cholesterol is good for us, bad cholesterol is bad for us. The body requires some triglycerides, but too much is bad. Saturated fats are a form of triglycerides which is really bad news for the heart. On the other hand, Omega-3 fats famously found in fish, is good at controlling the other bad triglycerides and cholesterol. So we should avoid the bad and accept the good. It's a simple principle which applies to everything. If only we can live this principle!
We grew up to a simple fact: Eggs are good for us! Then came the pronouncement: Eggs contain a lot of cholesterol! Immediately eggs were taken off the diet lists of almost every household. Now eggs are back without the yolk because research has shown that it is the yolk which contains the cholesterol and not the white. So chefs everywhere are dreaming up yolk-less egg delicacies! The point is that we often bad name a food without really understanding what about it is really harmful.
These swings in favor of or against cholesterol-containing foods confuse the man on the street. Eggs are not the main culprit in raising the level of bad cholesterol. The thing to avoid is not eggs by themselves, but to say no to the large helpings of bacon, cheese and sausages on the side. Paying attention to the way in which your food is cooked will pay off more than simply concentrating on including this and excluding that food from your diet.
The way the food is cooked is just as much to blame for high cholesterol levels in the bloodstream. Even foods innocent of any trace of cholesterol, can be transformed into real dangerous dishes. If the food is fried in oil or margarine then the goodness of the food is overpowered by the saturated fats present in the cooking medium. Red meats, poultry products, and dairy products contain high levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. So it's best to stay away from fried stuff and animal products.
Saturated fats are a deadly ingredient in your diet, making the liver increase production of LDL and triglycerides which leads to artery blockage and strokes.
The key to good health it appears is to moderate the dietary intake of high cholesterol foods and saturated fats. So choose poached eggs over that egg omelet, and grilled chicken over fried chicken, and a fresh salad over French fries! That's the way to a healthy heart and a healthy life! - 30310
Health magazines and sites warn you about the dangers of cholesterol. They say that high levels of cholesterol in your diet can and do lead to serious heart problems like strokes, heart attacks, heart disease, and artery disease. These serious ailments and conditions are further aggravated if you smoke, or suffer from hypertension and obesity, or have a hereditary condition.
Cholesterol comes in two flavors: good (HDL) and bad (LDL). As the names imply, good cholesterol is good for us, bad cholesterol is bad for us. The body requires some triglycerides, but too much is bad. Saturated fats are a form of triglycerides which is really bad news for the heart. On the other hand, Omega-3 fats famously found in fish, is good at controlling the other bad triglycerides and cholesterol. So we should avoid the bad and accept the good. It's a simple principle which applies to everything. If only we can live this principle!
We grew up to a simple fact: Eggs are good for us! Then came the pronouncement: Eggs contain a lot of cholesterol! Immediately eggs were taken off the diet lists of almost every household. Now eggs are back without the yolk because research has shown that it is the yolk which contains the cholesterol and not the white. So chefs everywhere are dreaming up yolk-less egg delicacies! The point is that we often bad name a food without really understanding what about it is really harmful.
These swings in favor of or against cholesterol-containing foods confuse the man on the street. Eggs are not the main culprit in raising the level of bad cholesterol. The thing to avoid is not eggs by themselves, but to say no to the large helpings of bacon, cheese and sausages on the side. Paying attention to the way in which your food is cooked will pay off more than simply concentrating on including this and excluding that food from your diet.
The way the food is cooked is just as much to blame for high cholesterol levels in the bloodstream. Even foods innocent of any trace of cholesterol, can be transformed into real dangerous dishes. If the food is fried in oil or margarine then the goodness of the food is overpowered by the saturated fats present in the cooking medium. Red meats, poultry products, and dairy products contain high levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. So it's best to stay away from fried stuff and animal products.
Saturated fats are a deadly ingredient in your diet, making the liver increase production of LDL and triglycerides which leads to artery blockage and strokes.
The key to good health it appears is to moderate the dietary intake of high cholesterol foods and saturated fats. So choose poached eggs over that egg omelet, and grilled chicken over fried chicken, and a fresh salad over French fries! That's the way to a healthy heart and a healthy life! - 30310
About the Author:
The first step you should take is to get a cholesterol test an discover what your levels are. Then eat a balanced low cholesterol diet, and keep track of your levels by using a cholesterol monitor. Visit www.reduce-high-cholesterol.com for more info on living a heart healthy life.
