Cholesterol refers to a fatty substance that the liver naturally produces and releases into your bloodstream. There are two main kinds of cholesterol: low-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein. The former is bad and can cause a build-up of plaque in arteries, increasing the risk of coronary heart diseases, while the latter is categorized as good cholesterol that protects against heart diseases.
People have an increased cholesterol level if they eat foods that contain a large number of trans-fats and saturated fats.
Let’s discuss which food items you should avoid to prevent your cholesterol levels from rising.
Fast Foods and Takeaways
If you’re in danger of high cholesterol, you should stay away from fast foods and takeaways. Consuming fast food is a leading cause of high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, heart diseases, etc.
Deep-fried fast foods and takeaway foods such as pizza and hamburgers contain unhealthy saturated fats, which increase cholesterol levels, inflammation levels, belly fat, and unbalanced blood sugar regulation.
It’s recommended to limit eating fast food to once a week. This includes meals such as pies, pastries, fries or chips, creamy pasta, fried fish, etc.
Processed Meats
Processed meats such as bacon, sausages, bologna slices, hot dogs, and deli meats such as salami are high in cholesterol and should be avoided.
Research has shown that people who consume large quantities of processed meats have a higher risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer like colon cancer. A review study of 614,000 participants showed that people eating an additional 50 grams of processed meat daily had a 42% increased risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Instead of eating processed meats, opt for lean cuts of meat such as poultry without its skin and meat with fat trimmed off. It’s also better to limit eating unprocessed red meat to 350g or less every week.
Desserts
Desserts such as cookies, ice cream, cakes, pies, pastries, sweets, chocolate, lollies, etc., have high amounts of cholesterol and added sugar. They also contain massive quantities of unhealthy fats along with calories which are harmful to our physical well-being.
People who frequently eat desserts can gain a lot of weight over time and become obese. Studies have found that desserts are linked to diabetes, obesity, certain cancers, cognitive decline, and heart diseases.
To have better health, substitute desserts and unhealthy fats in your diet with fresh fruits and vegetables. Ideally, you should eat around five servings or 2.5 cups of cooked vegetables per day.
It’s also beneficial to include pulses or legumes in your diet, such as lentils, chickpeas, split peas, as well as different kinds of beans, including kidney beans, baked beans, haricot beans, etc.
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