Diet for high cholesterol

A diet high in cholesterol does not generally have the desired effect, it only helps with medication. But without it, treatment will not work.

When designing a menu, it is necessary to take into account not only the level of cholesterol in a person's blood, but also gender and age. It is not necessary to abandon such a diet, because in this case you will have to follow a therapeutic diet for the rest of your life.

What does high cholesterol mean?

Cholesterol (cholesterol) is an important steroid for the human body. Plays an important role in lipid metabolism, participates in the production of hormones. This substance is present in all cells of the body, even in the brain. However, when cholesterol levels rise, the situation is dangerous.

The transport of cholesterol molecules to the tissues is carried out with the help of proteins. They are of several types:

• High-density lipoproteins (HDL). This is called "good" cholesterol. They absorb excess fat, transport it to the liver, where it is converted to bile acids and then excreted through the intestines.
• Low density lipoproteins (LDL). This is "bad" cholesterol. Its molecules are delivered to the tissues. As LDL levels rise, excess of this substance accumulates, plaques form, and this leads to cardiovascular disease.
• Very low density lipoproteins (VLDL). They are considered the most dangerous because they transport fats, such as triglycerides, from the liver to the tissues.

If you need a low-cholesterol diet, it means that a person has high levels of LDL and it is the "bad" cholesterol that needs to be reduced.

Basics of diet

A hypocholesterolemic diet with high levels of cholesterol is observed throughout life. This is not a completely cholesterol-free diet, because it is impossible to eliminate all cholesterol-containing foods from the diet. Recent studies have shown that if you completely rule it out, the condition can lead to neurological and endocrine disorders.

Basic principles of diet:

• Eat at least 400 g of fruits and vegetables a day. Their share can even be increased. Consumption of starchy vegetables such as potatoes and squash is allowed, but in limited quantities, not more than the physiologically acceptable norm. Their cholesterol load is low, but they contain carbohydrates.
• In the absence of kidney disease, the use of plant protein at the expense of legumes.
• Fractional nutrition in which the total amount of food is divided into 5-6 meals. This will help ensure gallbladder drainage.
• Limit salt intake to 5 g per day.
• Elimination of acidic, salty and smoked foods, sweet soda.
• Consumption of sugar at the level of 5 tsp. in a day. The amount is considered total with all drinks and meals.
• Body weight control.

If necessary, you can spend fasting days with vegetables, apples or kefir. When you are overweight, start with a low-cholesterol diet with cottage cheese or fruits and vegetables, and then move on to an anti-cholesterol diet.

Prohibited Products

A standard LDL-reducing diet restricts or eliminates fat-rich foods. Prohibited include:

• fatty meat and fish;
• sakatat;
• creamy and fat milk;
• margarines.

Only this can reduce cholesterol levels by 10-15%. Sometimes it is not even necessary to follow a diet. It is enough to give up these products, to include in the menu more vegetables and fruits, fish and seafood, vegetable oils every day.

When designing a diet, it is important to remember that fats do not need to be completely eliminated to lower cholesterol. Their ratio is determined individually depending on the severity of the disease. Sometimes it is necessary to reduce it by 20%, but usually the restrictions are not so significant. Vegetable oils should also be used with caution, as they help to accumulate harmful substances in the body.

With high sugar levels, reduce the amount of carbohydrates. However, with normal body weight and glucose levels, you can slightly increase the proportion of complex carbohydrates to provide the body with energy.

To reduce the amount of fat and cholesterol in the daily menu, you should follow the following rules:

• fat is cut from meat, skin is definitely removed from poultry;
• vegetables are never cooked with meat because they absorb fats;
• any recipe is adapted to this diet, reducing the amount of fat in it (for example, take sour cream with less fat);
• rice dishes, mashed potatoes, pasta cooked without fat.

You should also use non-stick pans to prevent frying.

Approved Products

The hypocholesterolemic diet allows you to list the following products:

• Lean meat and fish. The most useful are cold-sea fish, which contain omega-3 acids that affect fat metabolism.
• Vegetable oils that bind and remove cholesterol (this is not only olive, but also soy or rapeseed oil).
• Dairy products, including cottage cheese, sour cream, low-fat cheese.
• Hazelnuts, especially walnuts and almonds, are rich in vitamins, folic acid, magnesium and arginine. However, they contain a lot of calories, so you need to eat less.
• Cereals - buckwheat, rice, oatmeal.
• Eggs - no more than 2-4 per week, depending on health status.
• Soy products. They are very useful, but we are talking only about high-quality goods, for example, you can eat tofu.
• Dietary fiber foods are wheat and oat bran.
• Fruits, especially apples and citrus fruits, help lower blood pressure and prevent blood clots.

Bread can be consumed, but only in the form of yesterday's baking or toast. Tea is also included in the daily diet. But it should be weak and with a minimum amount of sugar to reduce potential damage.

Recipes

The need to follow an anti-cholesterol diet does not mean that a person is always forced to eat the same foods.

Using cholesterol-lowering foods, you can create a healthy and tasty menu for proper nutrition.

citrus marmalade

Citrus fruits contain a lot of pectin, which is involved in digestive processes. Forms a highly viscous mass that helps remove cholesterol from the body before entering the bloodstream. Citrus fruits are good in any form. It can be eaten raw as part of a fruit salad, and marmalade is also made from them.

Take to prepare:

• orange - 1 piece;
• grapefruit - 1 piece;
• lemon - 1 piece;
• sugar - 0. 5 kg;
• su - 500 ml.

Cooking:

1. Citrus fruits are washed, squeezed from the juice with pulp.
2. Coarse white fibers are cut from the bark and cut into thin strips.
3. The raw material is placed in a saucepan.
4. Add juice and broth.
5. Boil for 12-20 minutes.
6. Add sugar and keep on low heat until the mixture becomes viscous. When it cools, it turns into marmalade.

White bean soup with herbs

Legumes - lentils, beans, peas - contain dietary fiber that is good for the cardiovascular system. They are high in protein and can replace fatty meats in the diet. They are made in different ways. Mediterranean cuisine includes many dishes with legumes. For example, you can cook white bean soup with herbs.

For this you will need:

• dry white beans - 1 tbsp;
• bulb - 1 piece;
• carrots - 1 piece;
• chopped celery stalk - 1 piece. ;
• weak chicken broth - 0. 5 liters;
• su - 0, 5 l;
• salt and spices - to taste.

Cooking:

1. The beans are soaked overnight and then boiled for 2 hours. About 500-600 g of finished product is produced.
2. Onions, carrots and celery cook for 8-10 minutes.
3. Pour the beans into the pan and add the vegetables.
4. Pour the broth and water.
5. Add salt and spices.
6. Bring to a boil.
7. Leave on low heat for another 15 minutes.
8. Half of the bean-vegetable mass is removed from the soup, beaten in a blender, and returned to the remaining ingredients.

Before serving, a very thick soup with different types of fresh herbs is added.

root cutlets

Carrots are another product that can lower cholesterol due to its pectin content. You can cook meatballs from it.

Required:

• medium carrot - 3 pieces;
• eggs - 3 pcs. ;
• flour - about 5-6 tablespoons. l. with slide;
• salt - to taste.

Cooking:

1. The carrots are crushed in a coarse grater.
2. Add eggs, flour and salt.
3. Everything is mixed.
4. Cutlets are prepared and cooked by turning them several times in a non-stick or non-stick pan.

sweet pepper salad

Sweet pepper helps strengthen blood vessels and remove cholesterol. You can make a healthy salad from it.

To do this, you need:

• pepper - 2 pieces;
• red onion - 2 pieces;
• greens - to taste;
• vegetable oil - for dressing.

Cooking:

1. Cut the vegetables.
2. Sprinkle with herbs.
3. Filled with vegetable oil.

baked eggplant with ham

These vegetables contain a lot of potassium and normalize metabolism. You can cook baked eggplant with low-fat ham.

This will require:

• eggplant - 2 pieces;
• ham - 100 g;
• low-fat sour cream - 3 tbsp. l. ;
• fried cheese - 70-80 g;
• greens - to taste.

Cooking:

1. Eggplant is washed, cut in half and spread on a baking sheet.
2. Ham is crushed and mixed with chopped herbs.
3. Add sour cream.
4. Spread the mixture on the eggplant and cook for 15 minutes.

You can experiment with any familiar recipes, change their ingredients for more useful ones.

Diet for high cholesterol in women

With normal blood cholesterol levels, there is no need for an anti-cholesterol diet, which can even be harmful. Therefore, it is necessary to know the indications for such a diet. The norm for women is shown in the following table:

Age	Total cholesterol, mmol / l	"Bad" cholesterol, mmol / l	"Beneficial" cholesterol, mmol / l
35-40 years old	6. Up to 27	4. Not more than 45	2. Not higher than 12
40-45 years old	6. Up to 53	4. Not higher than 51	2. Not more than 28
45-50 years old	6. Up to 66	4. Not higher than 82	2. Not more than 25
50-55 years old	7. Up to 15	5. Not higher than 21	2. Not higher than 38
55-60 years old	7. Up to 77	5. Not higher than 44	2. Not more than 35
60-65 years old	7. Up to 69	5. Not higher than 80	2. Not higher than 38

It is necessary to pass appropriate blood tests and act in accordance with the results. If "bad" cholesterol is higher than normal, you need an anti-cholesterol diet. It has been watched for a long time. Depending on your health condition, it may be needed for a lifetime.

The 7-day sample menu for women looks like this:

Day of the week	diet
Monday	breakfast: toast with boiled oatmeal with the addition of berries or dried fruits, low-fat cheese, weak tea or freshly squeezed carrot juice; second breakfast: you can do it with apples, honey, but without sugar; dinner: boiled chicken breast, seasonal vegetable salad; snack: a glass of yogurt; Dinner: baked pike perch with vegetables, hip juice
Tuesday	breakfast: a serving of cottage cheese casserole, a glass of freshly squeezed apple juice; second breakfast: biscuit biscuits, dried apricots and apple compote; dinner: vegetable soup with zucchini and petiole celery, baked chicken breast; snack: baked apple; dinner: baked beans in tomatoes
Wednesday	breakfast: buckwheat porridge, weak tea; second breakfast: toast with honey, dried fruit compote; dinner: baked potatoes, vegetable salad; snack: you can add cottage cheese paste, fresh berries; Dinner: vegetable stew with chicken fillet, hip juice
Thursday	breakfast: rice porridge, green apples, weak tea; second breakfast: toast with low-fat cheese, rose water; dinner: vegetable soup, low-fat cottage cheese; snack: baked apple or fruit puree; dinner: fried turkey fillet, seasonal vegetable salad
Friday	breakfast: muesli with berries and spicy dried fruits with yogurt; second breakfast: baked apple, weak tea; dinner: chicken breast baked with soft cheese, vegetable salad, for dessert - citrus marmalade; snack: a glass of yogurt; Dinner: fish in tomatoes, boiled beans, apples
Saturday	breakfast: oatmeal with yogurt, but without additives; second breakfast: toast with cheese, tea; dinner: white bean soup with herbs, a piece of boiled chicken; snack: a handful of pistachios, dried fruit compote; Dinner: boiled eggplant with low-fat ham, hip juice
Sunday	breakfast: wheat porridge, freshly squeezed apple juice; second breakfast: carrot salad with cornel; dinner: boiled fish, seasonal vegetable salad; snack: baked apple; Dinner: baked rabbit with sour cream, mashed potatoes, vegetable salad

This menu is adjusted to reflect age and other chronic conditions. For example, women over the age of 60 should limit meat in favor of fish and dairy products. This is especially true for those who suffer from arthritis and osteoarthritis, because the meat contains substances that promote inflammation of the joints. With high sugar, you need to limit carbohydrates.

Features of anti-cholesterol diet in men

The schedule of cholesterol norms for men is as follows:

Age	Total cholesterol, mmol / l	"Bad" cholesterol, mmol / l	"Beneficial" cholesterol, mmol / l
35-40 years old	6. Up to 99	4. Not higher than 90	1. Not more than 60
40-45 years old	6. Up to 94	4. Not higher than 82	1. Not more than 73
45-50 years old	7. Up to 15	5. Not more than 23	1. Not higher than 66
50-55 years old	7. Up to 17	5. Not higher than 10	1. Not more than 63
55-60 years old	7. Up to 15	5. Not higher than 26	1. Not more than 84
60-65 years old	7. Up to 15	5. Not higher than 44	1. Not higher than 91

A weekly sample menu for a man might look like this:

Day of the week	diet
Monday	breakfast: oatmeal from cereals or cereals, boiled in water, tea; snack: toast with cheese, citrus juice; dinner: lean borscht, boiled chicken, carrot salad, compote; afternoon snack: a piece of cottage cheese casserole; dinner: fried fish and vegetables
Tuesday	breakfast: protein omelet with greens and low-fat ham, toast, weak tea; snack: seasonal vegetable salad, carrot juice; dinner: tomato soup, a piece of boiled veal, vegetable salad, dried fruit compote; afternoon snack: a glass of kefir; Dinner: steamed fish cakes, tomato salad, cornel jelly
Wednesday	breakfast: toast with boiled chicken breast and herbs, weak tea; snack: fruit salad with yogurt; dinner: beets, chicken cutlets, mashed potatoes; afternoon snack: diet cheesecakes baked in the oven or in a non-stick frying pan; dinner: baked fish, vegetables
Thursday	breakfast: buckwheat with a little butter; snacks: nuts and seeds; dinner: vegetable soup, meatloaf, tomato salad; lunch snack: fruit smoothie; Dinner: carrot cutlets, baked potatoes, berry jelly
Friday	breakfast: protein omelet from two eggs baked in the oven or steamed, green tea; snacks: biscuit biscuits, vegetable smoothie; dinner: weak chicken broth, boiled eggplant with meat and cheese, dried fruit compote; afternoon snack: cottage cheese souffle, kefir; dinner: baked fish, vegetables
Saturday	breakfast: cottage cheese with berries; snack: toast with cheese, dried fruit compote; dinner: carrot soup with oats or buckwheat, vegetable casserole; afternoon snack: muesli with yogurt; Dinner: lean meatballs with rice garnish
Sunday	breakfast: protein omelet, biscuit biscuits, green tea; snack: vegetable smoothie; dinner: carrot or pumpkin cream soup, boiled pike perch, vegetable salad; lunch snack: fruit smoothie; Dinner: diet chicken cutlets with mashed potatoes

Men also have age-related dietary characteristics that gradually reduce physical activity, so less protein is required compared to intense exercise.

Age characteristics of nutrition

You need to follow your diet with an increase in bad cholesterol, but it is important to do so, taking into account the characteristics of age.

Up to 40 years old

Metabolic rate is still high, but gradually begins to decline. The main task of the diet is to speed up the metabolic process.

In this case, animal protein is still important, so it is necessary to maintain the consumption of lean meat at least 3-4 times a week.

40-50 years old

At this time, hormonal changes begin in the body, the need for animal protein decreases.

It is recommended to reduce meat consumption twice a week and include more fish in the diet. It is better to drink herbal or ginger tea instead of coffee.

50-60 years old

The rate of metabolic processes continues to slow down, which reduces the role of cholesterol, which is no longer needed in such quantities.

In this case, whole milk should be completely abandoned, it should be replaced with sour milk products.

After 60 years

Meat can eat no more than once a week, eggs - a maximum of 3 per week. There may be a deficiency of iron and iodine in the body, so it is recommended to use more buckwheat, sea fish and other foods that contain these substances.

diet for excess weight

From a certain age, the diet is necessary for everyone, regardless of weight. However, if a person is severely obese, he needs a low-carbohydrate program.

Therefore, sweets, pastries, some fruits (grapes and dates) are excluded from the diet, only grains, vegetables, etc. contains healthy carbohydrates.