What Is a Low Cholesterol and Low Fat Diet?

A low cholesterol and low fat diet is simply a food plan that reduces that amounts of fats that are ingested, which in turn lowers the amounts of bad cholesterol that is absorbed by the body. Foods that are high in cholesterol obviously need to be avoided, but items with a concentration of saturated fats also must be passed over. Some common foods that need to be avoided are red meats, butter, egg yolks, and cheese because they are high in both. Instead, healthier foods should be consumed, such as fruits and vegetables, fish, shellfish, and some nuts and seeds.

In order to effectively have healthy eating patterns that include a low cholesterol and low fat diet, a person needs to understand that there are various different kinds of both. The two types of cholesterol that can be found are LDL’s and HDL’s. LDL cholesterol is the one that is bad for the body because it has been found to be responsible for heart attacks and high blood pressure. Along with these two types of cholesterol are three different types of fat. They are saturated, poly-unsaturated, and mono-unsaturated fats. The saturated fats are the ones that need to be eliminated from any low cholesterol and low fat diet because they will increase the LDL cholesterol levels within the body.

The best way to avoid eating items that go against this diet is to increase the intake of fruits and vegetables and to drink large amounts of water. One reason for this is that if the stomach is kept full with healthy foods, then hunger will not overwhelm the person. If no hunger is present, it is much easier to stay on a low cholesterol and low fat diet because there will be less craving for fatty foods and snacking.

When dining out or eating in, be aware that whole grain products have far less fat than the common white varieties have, which includes breads and grains. It is also very important to replace fried foods with much healthier baked foods. If something looks like it is very sweet and contains vast amounts of fat, then avoid it. Add fish into the daily diet, and stay away from most dairy products. If the food that has been prepared is dull with little taste, add herbs to it rather than using salt and pepper. The final step that has to be taken with any low cholesterol and low fat diet is to consume plenty of fiber. Fiber is best when derived from food, such as celery, but many other products can be found that have added fiber in them.