3 steps to lower cholesterol

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⦁ Switch from "bad" fats to "good" fats

So, which food contains “bad” fats? What products should be limited in the consumption, and which should be eliminated from the diet?

"Bad" fats

This group includes only foods of animal origin. Vegetable foods do not contain saturated fat or pure cholesterol.

Saturated fat (should be limited). It is contained in full-fat dairy products (butter, sour cream, full-fat yogurt and cottage cheese), as well as in animal products (especially lard and chicken skin). Saturated fats increase bad cholesterol levels.

However, saturated fats contain a lot of fat-soluble vitamins. So, strictly speaking, they aren't bad fats. But it would be wise to limit their consumption.

Foods with high cholesterol level (should be also limited): meat, poultry, especially offal and giblets (brains, liver, heart, kidneys), yolk and shellfish.

Trans fats are found in “store-bought” products (processed food), baked goods (cookies, muffins, donuts, crackers), and artificial butter (margarine). Trans fats are also found in fried foods and fast food restaurants due to the use of hydrolyzed frying oil. This type of fat comes from the chemical industry and is much more dangerous than saturated fat. It not only reduces the level of good cholesterol, but also increases the amount of bad cholesterol. Trans fats should be avoided whenever possible.

"Good" fats

Good fats include unsaturated vegetable fats (nuts and seeds), olive oil, avocado oil, and fish oil. It is considered to be good because it reduces the level of bad cholesterol. But it doesn't mean that now you can generously stuff your salads with vegetable oil. We should remember that fats are high in calories and excess of unsaturated fats will turn into saturated fats in our adipose tissue and lead to weight gain.

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⦁ Add fiber foods to your diet

The main foods rich in fiber are foremost the stems and grains of plants - in fact, it is fiber (dietary fiber) that forms their dense structure. Fiber can be soluble, which can be digested by the human stomach, and insoluble. Soluble fiber is of the particular assistance, because it binds the excess cholesterol to eliminate it from the body.

Add fruits like apples, grapes, and pears to your diet and eat them with the peel. Cereals: buckwheat, rice, oatmeal, and lentils are rich in fiber.

Try our recipes to cook fiber-rich dishes.

⦁ Add regular workouts

In order for cholesterol level to return to normal you need to add physical activity. It will help you to reduce weight, reduce “bad” cholesterol levels, and increase “good” cholesterol levels.

Curious research was published in the "Journal of Atherosclerosis". According to the study, blood tests were taken from runners before and after the marathon; it was found that the level of bad cholesterol in the blood of runners after the marathon increased after the run. Thus, extensive high-intensity exercises turn on fat metabolism, meaning it forces the body to use fat for energy.  

“At the end of the second hour of continuous running the glycogen stores in the liver and muscles are depleted. The goal of long-term training (2 hours + 10-40 minutes in aerobic mode) is to stimulate the production of enzymes that metabolize fats. It is necessary so that fats are included in energy metabolism long before glycogen is depleted. Let me note that two hours is two hours,  not a certain number of kilometers. You don't need to run specifically 20 or 30 km to start these processes, but two hours plus 10-40 minutes in aerobic mode.”

At the same time, many studies [1,2,3,4,5] indicate an increase in the level of good cholesterol with regular training of various types: moderate and high intensity, as well as with weight training.

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