How to lower the cholesterol risk factor
In the United States, the number of people affected by cardiovascular diseases is decreasing year after year, thanks to the dietary corrections people are adopting.
In order to correct your diet habits seek to know what are saturated fats (they increase bad cholesterol (LDL) levels, and unsaturated (do not increase cholesterol levels)
Saturated Fat
Saturated Fats are the main cause of elevation of blood cholesterol levels
The main source of these fats come from animals and certain plants. It is recommended not to ingest more than 200 mg per day of cholesterol and not more than 30% of total calories ingested per day originated from fats, and with less than 7% originating from saturated fats.
In these are included beef, bovine fat, pork, tallow, butter, cream, mil, cheese and other dairy foodstuffs. These are all foods containing cholesterol and saturated fats.
Among the fats originating from plants are included: coconut fat, tropical oils and cocoa butter
hydrogenated fats
Hydrogenation of fats occurs during their industrial processing, such as what happens, for example, with margarine.
Unsaturated fats (poli and mono)
They are typically found in liquid fats obtained from vegetables.
Among the polyunsaturated the oils are those made from: sesame, sunflower, soybean, nuts and seeds.
Among the mono-unsaturated oils are: canola, peanut, avocado and olive.
Unsaturated fats help decrease blood cholesterol levels when used in the diet, as substitutes for saturated fats. Even margarines prepared with these fats should be used moderately. Saturation of unsaturated fats, by means of industrialization processes, aiming to make them thicker, make them as harmful as naturally saturated fats. Unsaturated fats can also become saturated when cooked at high temperatures (deep-frying).
Below are some basic recommendations:
Use natural, non-hydrogenated oils, such as canola and olive oil.
Seek industrialized products produced with unsaturated fats
Use margarine as substitute for butter, but look for liquid or soft margarines, rather than those with harder textures. Look for those containing less than 2 g of saturated fats per teaspoon and and which liquid oils are prevalent in their composition.
Avoid French fries, donuts and cookies
Avoid fatty foods
Avoid industrialized and commercially fried products for they are rich in fatty substances.
Avoid fast and fried foods.