Cholesterol Diet Tips

[dropcap]H[/dropcap]i there! If you saw the article last week, you know that we spoke all about High Cholesterol – what it is and why its so important to have it under control. While some people may need medication to control it, Everyone can benefit from diet changes to control it too! So today we’ll focus on what to eat and what not to eat when you have high cholesterol.

Cereals:

Go with what is available in the supermarket/market where you shop, and even more importantly, what is in your budget.

Basically, avoid fried products as much as possible.

Fruits & Veggies:

Fresh fruits and vegetables are in abundance in the Caribbean! Let’s eat them and be merry!

Sometimes what is easiest to pack for work is canned fruit or vegetables, and while fresh is always best, don’t turn your nose up at the canned options. They are good too, and much better for you than chips or chocolate or floats!

I know that someone out there is saying, but coleslaw = salad and salad = GOOD FOOD. But remember that coleslaw has sugar and mayonnaise. Mayonnaise is made from eggs and oil, so its best to limit the mayo intake.

Meats, Fish Eggs, Nuts:

• Drain and rinse canned peas/beans
• Eat low fat meat, 2-3 times a week. On the other days choose fish or non-meat alternatives like beans, lentils, peas, tofu etc.
• Try to eat fish at least twice a week, make sure to add a portion of oily fish where possible.
• Read the label! Avoid palm oils Trans fats and saturated fats as much as possible.

Dairy:

• Always read the labels
• Everything in moderation

Fatty Foods:

• Read labels!
• Avoid 0.5% or more Trans fat and saturated fats!

Seasoning:

• Avoid salt
• Avoid oil-based seasonings – read the label!

Drinks:

• Sodas in general are not good to drink, so its best to avoid them altogether
• Juice drinks can be just as unhealthy as soda! Read the label, if there’s lots of sugar, no vitamins and a only a small % of juice (for example 10% juice) its best to avoid it and drink water instead.
• Fruit juice is MUCH healthier than juice drinks
• The benefits of red wine with dinner is lost if you consume alcohol regularly outside of this evening glass of wine.
• Everything in moderation!
• Drink your 8 glasses of water a day please! Good old water is excellent for your health.

QUICK COOKING TIPS:

• TRY as much as possible to add a variety of fruits and vegetables to each meal.
• ALWAYS make sure to drain off or soak off the oil from your foods when roasting or frying (remember that fried foods are on the list of foods to avoid, but if you must have fried plantain for example ONCE IN A WHILE then make sure to dab with paper towel to soak away as much oil as possible).
• Look for leaner cuts of meat to prepare
• Baste roasting meats with wine, fruit juice or marinade instead of the oil that has drained to the bottom of the pan.
• Broil or grill instead of frying.
• Cut off all visible fat from meat before cooking, and take all the skin off poultry pieces.
• Use a vegetable oil spray to saute foods – a small amount!!!
• Everything in MODERATION, you will be tempted to eat fried foods in our culture, fried food options are everywhere. It is especially difficult if you eat these things regularly. Be gentle with yourself, and make a plan with your doctor and/or dietitian to cut these things down gradually each week until you no longer even want/need them! 🙂 You can do it! 😉
• Half you plate should be vegetables, quarter should be meat/protein and the other quarter should be starch.

This is just a guide, not a complete list, and some things may need be tweaked if you have other illnesses such as diabetes or kidney problems so be sure to talk to your doctor and/or dietitian if you are unsure about something.

Sources for this diet sheet in this article: https://heartuk.org.uk – Cholesterol diet sheet; https://www.heart.org, http://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management

If you have any questions, just email me at: drthwaiteswilliams@gmail.com

And I’ll be happy to address one or two of them each week.

Have a blessed and healthy weekend!

Dr Rachel Thwaites

General Practitioner

Rodney Bay Medical Center

1-758-452-8621

EndFragment

For more health tips, pick up our Sports and Health magazine in the Star Newspaper every Saturday!