How to avoid foods high in cholesterol

.Those french fries might be tasty and so is that macaroni and cheese, but these foods in excess are potentially harmful. Sometimes the foods that you consume each and every day or your unhealthy cooking habits lead to a heightened cholesterol level. The key to avoiding foods high in cholesterol is education about the foods.

Cholesterol defined

The chemical compound cholesterol is found within your body; however this waxy substance is harmful when consumed in high quantities of the "bad" variety. What is bad cholesterol you may ask? Bad cholesterol, also known as LDL cholesterol or low-density lipoproteins is associated with coronary heart disease. This is because the build up of cholesterol causes excessive levels of cholesterol in the blood stream, ultimately leading to clogged arteries. High density lipoproteins (HDL) are the "good" form of cholesterol. This form of cholesterol travels through the blood to assist in removing harmful cholesterol. More specifically, LDL causes atherosclerosis while HDL helps to prevent atherosclerosis. A healthy overall cholesterol range is under 200 mg/dL. For LDL cholesterol, your blood cholesterol level is ideally 100 mg/dL. Your HDL cholesterol is ideally above 60 mg/dL and never read below 40 mg/dL.

What to eat and what not to eat?

Sources of cholesterol, both good and bad cholesterol are typically in your diet. Reducing your consumption of LDL cholesterol is essential -- this includes avoiding fried foods, egg yolks, ice cream and other "rich" foods like alfredo. Food that are basically filled with high fat contents are loaded with cholesterol. Anything with creams or butter is guaranteed to contain fats. Even a grilled steak contains LDL levels. Fish is the best choice for a low cholesterol meat; however if you don't like fish, chicken and turkey are lower in cholesterol than beef. By reducing your intake of these foods, you will be lowering LDL levels. Besides eliminating bad cholesterol, introducing more foods high in HDL to your diet is effective in cholesterol management. For instance, whole grains, salmon, olive oil, soy, fruits and vegetables, all contain HDL or have the potential to increase HDL levels. These low cholesterol foods have a positive impact on your healthy cholesterol level. There's a few helpful hints that can make managing your cholesterol levels simpler. Fry foods in healthier oils such as olive, canola or coconut oil. Choose cuts of meat that are less fatty such as tenderloin or tip steak instead of rib-eye. Consume foods such as bacon and duck sparingly. Venison is a low cholesterol meat. Though broccoli is a healthy choice, smothering it with cheese sauce is contradicting the benefits. Additionally, be sure to read nutrition labels some foods may surprise you with their unhealthy cholesterol levels.