If you’ve had your blood cholesterol level tested and been told that it is too high, you will need to make changes to your eating habits. That doesn’t mean going on a starvation diet, it means eating more foods that will actively help reduce the amount of cholesterol in your blood, and limiting those that increase it. This book will explain how and why in the simplest way possible. It’s not cranky and it’s packed with delicious, nutritious recipes.
What is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a naturally occurring, soft, waxy substance, made by the liver, not just in humans but in all animals. It is essential for life. It is a component of every cell in the body. It is vital for the functioning of the central nervous system as well as being used to make vitamin D and to make bile to process fatty foods.
How can you have too much?
Research now shows that if we eat a large proportion of saturated fat the liver uses it to make an excess of cholesterol. So, it is important to reduce your saturated fat intake if you wish to to reduce your blood cholesterol level. There are also a few foods that contain a particularly high proportion of cholesterol. These are egg yolks, prawns (shrimp), offal (kidneys, liver, etc.) and fish roes. There is some controversy as to what effect these have on blood cholesterol levels but it is recommended that egg yolks be limited to a maximum of three a week, including those used in cooking. In this book, you’ll find egg whites are often used instead of whole eggs. I have avoided the other very high cholesterol foods too as they are not essential for a healthy diet. However, eating them occasionally should not affect your blood cholesterol level in the long term.
What happens if you have excess cholesterol in your blood?
Well, you’ve heard of plaque on your teeth that, if allowed to build up, causes gum disease. Too much cholesterol causes a similar sort of silting-up in the small arteries which supply your heart with blood. If not kept in check, it can block the arteries, so preventing proper flow to the heart and increasing the risk of coronary heart disease.
The different types of fat
Fat not only makes other food more palatable, it is also an essential part of a healthy, balanced diet. It provides warmth and energy and ensures our immune system and muscles work properly. It keeps our skin soft and supple too. We need a certain amount to allow our bodies to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, and to provide essential fatty acids. The problem is, most people eat too much – especially saturated fats (see below). Fat naturally occurs in most foods, but particularly in milk, cheese, meat, fish, eggs, grains, nuts and seeds, so we don’t need to add more by spreading butter thickly on bread, dabbing it all over cooked vegetables before we eat them or pouring lashings of cream on our puds.
Are all fats the same?
When you think of fat, you probably think only of the white stuff round meat and slabs of butter, margarine and lard (shortening). But vegetable oils like corn, olive or sunflower are also fats, as are fish oils such as cod liver oil. They can, however, be divided into three main groups:
Saturated fats are mostly animal fats and solidify at room temperature. They are found in largest quantities in meat, dairy products and many margarines. Most plant products are low in saturated fats. The exceptions are hydrogenised vegetable oils and palm and coconut oil which are all from plants; they, too, solidify at room temperature and are high in saturated fat. Everyone is advised to cut down on saturated fats and if you have a high blood cholesterol level, you must reduce the amount in your diet or you may risk coronary heart disease.
Polyunsaturated fats come in two types: ‘omega 6 fatty acid’s, mainly found in vegetable and seed oils and in polyunsaturated margarines. These can help lower your blood cholesterol level but should only be used in moderation. The other type, ‘omega 3 fatty acids’, are found mainly in oily fish such as mackerel and tuna, and are thought to help protect against heart disease.
Monounsaturated fats are found in highest quantities in olive oil, avocados and rapeseed oil. They are not thought to have any effect on blood cholesterol levels. In Mediterranean countries where they have a high consumption of olive oil, there is a relatively low incidence of coronary heart disease. But obesity is a common problem in later life, so the message is to consume only small quantities.
Which fats should you choose?
All the above fats have the same number of calories and so are equally fattening. Controversy still rages over the virtues of polyunsaturated versus monounsaturated fats. To reduce your blood cholesterol level, I recommend having very little saturated fat and a balance between polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats; but, remember, you should not be having very much of any of them!
Dairy Products
Dairy products contain many things that are good for us: they are high in protein, and provide vitamins and minerals such as calcium for strong bones and teeth. It’s their saturated fat content that you don’t need, which is why you should stick to skimmed milk and the lowest-fat cheeses, yoghurts and creams you can find.
A word of warning about cream substitutes: I noticed, purely by accident, that one of the cream substitutes made with a mixture of vegetable fats and buttermilk had a higher saturated fat content than the reduced-fat real cream. So, as I can’t stress too often, it is worth reading labels and comparing the nutritional information on the different brands which will tell you how much saturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat they each contain. Remember, too, that cream of any kind, even the reduced-fat type, should be eaten as a treat only.
Cultured buttermilk, which tastes rather like crème frâche, is a good alternative with no saturated fat.
Ways to help reduce blood cholesterol levels
These are all healthy eating suggestions – remember, taking regular exercise is also important.
Avoid the following foods or keep them to a minimum:
A Healthy Balance
For good health you must eat foods from the five main food groups listed below every day.
Carbohydrates (for energy). There are two types. The first, complex carbohydrates, are found mainly in starchy foods like bread, pasta, rice, wholegrain cereals (including breakfast cereals but avoid those with added salt or sugar coatings) and potatoes. They are very important in your diet so eat plenty. The second type, simple carbohydrates, are sugars. They occur naturally in food in forms such as sucrose (a mixture of glucose and fructose) in fruit and lactose (a mixture of glucose and galactose) in milk. We don’t need extra sugar. Not only does it pile on unwanted calories, it causes tooth decay. I prefer to use honey for sweetening when possible, as it is sweeter than sugar so you need less of it.
Proteins (for tissue growth and repair). Animal proteins are found mainly in lean meat (preferably white meat), fish, dairy products (choose low-fat varieties) and eggs (eat only two or three a week); vegetable proteins are found mainly in pulses (dried peas, beans and lentils) and manufactured vegetable proteins like soya, quorn and tofu (bean curd). Eat two to three small portions a day.
Vitamins and minerals (for general well-being). Different ones are found in all foods but the best sources are fruit and vegetables, preferably fresh but also frozen or canned in water with no salt or sugar added. Eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables daily and include plenty of leafy greens.
Fats (for warmth and energy). As I have said, fats occur naturally in foods so adding more is unnecessary. Use polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats for cooking and spreading, and only very sparingly.
Fibre (to aid digestion). We should all be eating more fibre. It consists of the cell walls of all parts of the plant – from the seeds, through to the roots, stems, leaves, flowers and fruit. It passes through the body, absorbing water and food waste products and helps to move the food through the gut to aid digestion. The best sources are wholegrain cereals, bread and pasta, brown rice, fruit and vegetables (including the skins where appropriate, e.g. on apples and potatoes), pulses, dried fruit and nuts, so eat plenty of all these. A high-fibre diet will help lower your blood cholesterol level. If you have had a low-fibre diet up until now, increase the fibre gradually. For example, have some white and some wholemeal bread, or a mixture of high- and low-fibre breakfast cereals, then gradually increase the amount of the high-fibre foods. If you drastically increase the fibre content too quickly, you may suffer from abdominal discomfort, flatulence and even diarrhoea while your body adjusts.
Top Tips To Reduce Your Fat Intake