When your doctor decides that it is time to test your cholesterol, he or she will send you for a blood test, and then wait for the results of the cholesterol test to come back. Plan to spend a little discussing these numbers with your doctor, asking about how you can improve them if that is in fact needed, and ask what your risk is for heart disease.
If your cholesterol numbers are not acceptable, your doctor may suggest that you take prescription medications to help get your cholesterol numbers in a better range as soon as possible. If you do not do this it could lead to heart attacks, so consider carefully the medical advice you are given.
Now, if your numbers are acceptable, your medical practitioner may just suggest that you improve your diet, switching to one that is low cholesterol, and hardly contains foods of high cholesterol on a regular basis.
Once you are aware of the foods that are good and bad for you, then switching to low cholesterol foods should not be a problem, especially since you know that once you are eating better, your heart health will be improving, and your risk of heart problems will be falling.
This is exactly what you want, a strong heart. But along with the avoidance of a high cholesterol diet, you should also be exercising, may be four days a week going for a brisk walk for about 30 minutes, as this will help your fitness level, and your overall health.
So, if you are to consume low cholesterol foods , what does that mean you will be consuming, and what foods should you not eat? It is necessary to avoid an excess of foods from animals, so things like red meats should be consumed in moderation, with only the leanest cuts of meat being considered. Egg yolks are also high in cholesterol, but the egg whites are good for you, so think about moving over to egg white products rather than whole eggs.
On the list of not recommended is butter, as it is derived from an animal, so if you still want to in oil, think about using olive oil, especially virgin olive oil. This is less processed than light olive oil which is so called just because it is lighter in color, not lighter in calories.
Oat bran and oatmeal is good for you to eat, and is a great way to start your day. It gives your body soluble fibre, which is also found in barley, pears and apples.
Dried peas, beans and lentils, otherwise called legumes are good for you, because not only do they provide you with soluble fibre, but they also contain non-animal protein, which is good for the growth of tendons and muscles, as well as good for healthy blood, bones, hair and internal organs too.
There are obviously many more foods that could be mentioned for a low cholesterol diet, but there is limited space here. The important thing is to start reducing your cholesterol now, so that you are at lower risk of heart disease or strokes. But of course, the decision is yours, reduce your cholesterol now, or run the risk of heart attacks and strokes in your future.
Tags: calories, cholesterol, high cholesterol foods, low cholesterol foods, low fat diets, recipes