Cholesterol and its effect on your body, especially your heart, is a complicated topic. This book breaks it down into easily understandable sections, explains the different components and variables, and then tells you what you can do to reduce cholesterol levels and improve your health.
The foods you eat and the way you move your body have a huge impact on your health. Cholesterol blood levels can be reduced quite easily with some basic changes. And the best part is that the foods that reduce cholesterol and triglycerides are delicious and easy to cook.
Believe it or not, diets can be too low in fat. Your body needs fat to transport nutrients around the body, to maintain a consistent body temperature, to protect your organs, and to provide quick energy. If you aren't eating enough fat, you may be more tired, develop more infections and illnesses, and become deficient in vitamins and minerals.
Eating the right kind of fat, in the right quantities, is essential. If a recipe is slightly higher in fat than you'd like, look at the type of fat used. If it comes from extra-virgin olive oil, nuts, seeds, or vegetables, don't be afraid of that extra bit of fat. These monounsaturated fats are very healthy and actually raise HDL cholesterol levels.
Read labels carefully. For a food to be labeled “cholesterol free,” it must have less than 2 mg of cholesterol per serving. A “low cholesterol” food has less than 20 mg per serving. A “sodium free” food has less than 5 mg of sodium per serving, and a “low sodium” food has less than 140 mg per serving. A “high fiber” food has 5 grams of fiber or more per serving. A food labeled “low saturated fat” must have 1 gram or less of saturated fat per serving. And a “low fat” food has 3 grams or less of fat per serving.
All of the recipes in this book have less than 100 mg of cholesterol per serving. Most have much less than that, and many have none at all. You have the option of using butter or plant sterol margarines in these recipes; all of the nutrition calculations are figured using butter.
As with all health and nutrition advice, check with your doctor before changing your diet or adding exercise. Practice moderation in all things. If you eat a colorful diet, exercise moderately, and don't smoke, you will increase your odds of living a healthy life.
And remember that medical research is always discovering new information. Many people are tempted to throw up their hands and forget the whole thing when they hear that a food once thought good for you is not. But science doesn't proceed in a straight line. If you stick to fresh, whole foods, regular exercise, and a healthy lifestyle, you are doing all you can to promote good health. Take the latest research with a grain of salt.