Diets for high cholesterol

A diet with high cholesterol by itself usually does not give the desired result, it only helps in combination with medication. However, without it, the treatment will not work.

When compiling a menu, it is necessary to take into account not only the level of cholesterol in a person's blood, but also his gender and age. You do not need to leave 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 a steroid that is essential for the human body. It plays an important role in lipid metabolism, is involved in the production of hormones. This substance is present in all cells of the body, even in the brain. However, the condition is dangerous when the cholesterol level rises.

Cholesterol molecules are transported to the tissues with the help of proteins. There are many types:

• High density lipoproteins (HDL). This is the so-called "good" cholesterol. They take the excess fat, transfer it to the liver, where it is converted to bile acids, which are then excreted through the intestines.
• Low density lipoproteins (LDL). This is "bad" cholesterol. They deliver its molecules to the tissues. With elevated LDL levels, excess of this substance is deposited, forming plaques, which lead to cardiovascular disease.
• Very low density lipoproteins (VLDL). They are considered the most dangerous type, as 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 they need to lower.

Basic nutrition

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

Basic principles of nutritional nutrition:

• Eat at least 400 grams of fruits and vegetables daily. Their share may even increase. Starchy vegetables such as potatoes and pumpkin are allowed to be eaten, but in limited quantities, no more than the normally accepted rule. Their cholesterol load is low, but they contain carbohydrates.
• The use of vegetable protein to the detriment of legumes, if there are no kidney diseases.
• Fractional diet, in which the total amount of food is divided into 5-6 meals. This will help ensure that the gallbladder is drained.
• Limit your salt intake to 5 g per day.
• Exclusion of pickles, salty and smoked foods, sweet soda.
• Consumption of sugar at the level of 5 tbsp. in one day. The quantity is calculated in total, with all drinks and dishes.
• Body weight control.

If necessary, you can spend days fasting 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

The standard LDL reduction diet reduces or eliminates fatty foods altogether. Prohibited include:

• fatty meats and fish;
• offal;
• cream and fat milk;
• margarines.

Only because of this, you can reduce cholesterol levels by 10-15%. Sometimes it is not even necessary to follow a diet. As long as you refuse the mentioned products, include in the menu for each day more vegetables and fruits, fish and seafood, vegetable fats.

When designing a diet, it is important to remember that to lower cholesterol, it is not necessary to completely eliminate fats. Their proportion is determined individually, depending on the severity of the disease. Sometimes it should be reduced by 20%, but usually the restrictions are not so significant. Vegetable oils should also be used with caution, no more than normal, as they contribute to the accumulation of harmful substances in the body.

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

To reduce the fat and cholesterol content in the daily menu, you must follow the following rules:

• the fat is cut from the meat, the skin is necessarily removed from the poultry.
• Vegetables are never cooked with meat, as they absorb fats.
• any recipe adapts to this diet, reducing the fat content (for example, they take sour cream with a lower fat content).
• dishes with rice, mashed potatoes, pasta are cooked without butter.

You should also use non-stick cookware to avoid frying.

Approved Products

The hypocholesterolemic diet allows the following products to be mentioned:

• Lean meats and fish. The most useful is the cold sea fish, which contains omega-3 acids that affect fat metabolism.
• Vegetable oils that bind and remove cholesterol (this is not only olive oil, but also soybean oil or rapeseed oil).
• Dairy products such as cottage cheese, sour cream, low fat cheese.
• Nuts, especially walnuts and almonds, as they are high in vitamins, folic acid, magnesium and arginine. However, they contain a lot of calories, so you should eat them in small amounts.
• 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 products, for example, you can eat tofu.
• Foods that contain dietary fiber are wheat and oat bran.
• Fruits, especially apples and citrus fruits, as they help lower blood pressure and prevent blood clots.

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

Dish recipes

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

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

citrus jam

Citrus fruits contain a lot of pectin that is involved in digestive processes. It forms a very viscous mass that helps remove cholesterol from the body before it enters the bloodstream. Citrus fruits are good in any form. They can be eaten raw, as part of a fruit salad, and they are also used to make jam.

To prepare it take:

• orange - 1 pc. ;
• grapefruit - 1 pc.
• lemon - 1 pc. ;
• sugar - 0, 5 kg;
• water - 500 ml.

Cooking:

1. The citrus fruits are washed, squeezed from the fruit juice with pulp.
2. The coarse white fibers are cut from the skin and cut into thin strips.
3. The raw materials are placed in a saucepan.
4. Add juice and water.
5. Boil for 12-20 minutes.
6. Add the sugar and leave on low heat until the mixture becomes viscous. When it cools it will become jam.

White bean soup with herbs

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

For this you will need:

• dried white beans - 1 tbsp.
• lamp - 1 pc. ;
• carrots - 1 pc. ;
• chopped celery stalk - 1 pc. ;
• weak chicken broth - 0, 5 l.
• water - 0, 5 l;
• salt and spices - to taste.

Cooking:

1. The beans are soaked overnight and then boiled for 2 hours. It turns out about 500-600 g of the final product.
2. Onions, carrots and celery are cooked for 8-10 minutes.
3. Put the beans in the pan and add the vegetables.
4. Add 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 mass is removed from the soup, beaten in a blender and returned to the remaining ingredients.

It turns out to be a very thick soup, to which various kinds of fresh herbs are added before serving.

carrot cutlets

Carrots are another product that can lower cholesterol, among other things due to the pectin contained in it. From this you can cook meatballs.

Required:

• medium carrots - 3 pcs . ;
• eggs - 3 pcs. ;
• flour - about 5-6 tablespoons. large. with a slide;
• salt - to taste.

Cooking:

1. The carrots are crushed on a coarse grater.
2. Add the eggs, flour and salt.
3. Everything is mixed.
4. The cutlets are formed and baked in a non-stick pan without oil or in the oven, turning over several times.

sweet pepper salad

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

For this you need:

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

Cooking:

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

Roasted eggplant with ham

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

This will require:

• eggplant - 2 pcs . ;
• ham - 100 g;
• low-fat sour cream - 3 tbsp. large. ;
• grated cheese - 70-80 g;
• greens - to taste.

Cooking:

1. The aubergines are washed, cut in half, spread on a baking sheet.
2. The ham is crushed, mixed with chopped herbs.
3. Add sour cream.
4. Spread the mixture over the eggplant and bake for 15 minutes.

You can experiment with any known recipes, changing the ingredients in them for more useful ones.

diet for high cholesterol in women

With a normal blood cholesterol level, there is no need for an anti-cholesterol diet, it can even be harmful. Therefore, it is necessary to know the indicators to which such a diet is appropriate. For women, the rule is reflected in the following table:

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

It is necessary to pass the appropriate blood tests and act according to the results. If "bad" cholesterol is higher than normal, an anti-cholesterol diet is necessary. It has been followed for a long time. Depending on the state of health, it may be necessary for a lifetime.

A sample menu for 7 days for women looks like this:

Day of the week	diet
Monday	Breakfast: oatmeal boiled in water, with the addition of berries or dried fruit, toast with low-fat cheese, weak tea or freshly squeezed carrot juice. second breakfast: apple sauce, you can with honey, but without sugar. Lunch: boiled chicken breast, seasonal vegetable salad. snack: a glass of yogurt; Dinner: pike perch cooked with vegetables, rose broth
Tuesday	breakfast: a portion of casserole with cottage cheese, a glass of freshly squeezed apple juice. second breakfast: biscuit cookies, dried apricot and apple compote. Lunch: vegetable soup with zucchini and celery stalk, roasted chicken breast. snack: baked apple; Dinner: beans boiled in tomato
Wednesday	Breakfast: buckwheat porridge, weak tea. second breakfast: toast with honey, dried fruit compote. Lunch: baked potatoes, vegetable salad. snack: cottage cheese paste, you can add fresh berries. Dinner: vegetable stew with chicken fillet, rose broth
Thursday	Breakfast: rice porridge, green apple, weak tea. second breakfast: toast with low-fat cheese, rose broth. Lunch: vegetable soup, a portion of low-fat cottage cheese. snack: baked apple or fruit puree. Dinner: grilled turkey fillet, seasonal vegetable salad
Friday	Breakfast: muesli with berries and dried fruit seasoned with yogurt. second breakfast: baked apple, weak tea. Lunch: chicken breast cooked with mild cheese, vegetable salad, for dessert - citrus jam. snack: a glass of yogurt; Dinner: fish in tomato, boiled beans, apple
Saturday	Breakfast: oatmeal with yogurt, but without additives. second breakfast: toast with cheese, tea. Lunch: white bean soup with herbs, a piece of boiled chicken. snack: a handful of peanuts, dried fruit compote. Dinner: eggplant baked with low-fat ham, rose broth
Sunday	Breakfast: wheat porridge, freshly squeezed apple juice. second breakfast: carrot salad with cranberries. Lunch: baked fish, seasonal vegetable salad. snack: baked apple; Dinner: rabbit boiled in sour cream, mashed potatoes, vegetable salad

This menu is adapted 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 arthritis, as meat contains substances that promote inflammation of the joints. With high sugar, you need to cut down on carbs.

Characteristics of the anticholesterol diet in men

The table of cholesterol rules for men is as follows:

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

A sample menu for a week 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. Lunch: lean borscht, boiled chicken, carrot salad, compote. Afternoon snack: a piece of pot with cottage cheese. Dinner: grilled fish and vegetables
Tuesday	Breakfast: protein omelette with greens and low-fat ham, toast, lean tea. snack: seasonal vegetable salad, carrot juice. Lunch: tomato soup, a portion of boiled beef, vegetable salad, dried fruit compote. Afternoon snack: a glass of kefir. Dinner: steamed fish cake, tomato salad, cranberry jelly
Wednesday	Breakfast: toast with boiled chicken breast and herbs, weak tea. snack: fruit salad with yogurt. Lunch: beets, chicken cutlets, mashed potatoes. Afternoon snack: diet cheese pies cooked in the oven or in a non-stick pan. Dinner: baked fish, vegetables
Thursday	Breakfast: buckwheat with a little butter. snacks: nuts and seeds. Lunch: vegetable soup, meat toast, tomato salad. Afternoon snack: fruit smoothie. Dinner: carrot cutlets, baked potatoes, berry jelly
Friday	Breakfast: protein omelette of two eggs, cooked in the oven or steamed, green tea. snacks: biscuit cookies, vegetable smoothie. Lunch: weak chicken broth, eggplant cooked with meat and cheese, dried fruit compote. Afternoon snack: cheese souffle, kefir. Dinner: baked fish, vegetables
Saturday	Breakfast: cottage cheese with berries. snack: toast with cheese, dried fruit compote. Lunch: carrot soup with oatmeal or buckwheat, vegetable casserole. Afternoon snack: muesli with yogurt. Dinner: Lean meatballs with rice garnish
Sunday	Breakfast: protein omelette, biscuit cookies, green tea. snack: vegetable smoothie; Lunch: soup with carrot or pumpkin cream, boiled perch, vegetable salad. Afternoon snack: fruit smoothie. Dinner: chicken cutlets with diet puree

Men also have age-related nutritional characteristics related to the fact that physical activity is gradually reduced, so less protein is required than strenuous exercise.

Age characteristics of the diet

With elevated bad cholesterol, you need to monitor your diet, but it is important to do this with age-related characteristics in mind.

Up to 40 years old

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

At this time, animal protein is still important, so you should maintain a lean meat intake at least 3-4 times a week.

At the age of 40-50 years

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

It is recommended to reduce the consumption of meat to 2 times a week, to include more fish dishes in the diet. Instead of coffee, it is better to drink herbal or ginger tea.

At the age of 50-60 years

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

At this time, whole milk should be completely abandoned, replacing it with sour milk.

After 60 years

Meat can be consumed no more than once a week, eggs - a maximum of 3 per week. The body may be deficient in iron and iodine, so it is recommended that you eat more buckwheat, seafood and other foods that contain these substances.

diet for overweight

Dietary nutrition, starting at a certain age, is essential for everyone, regardless of weight. But if a person is severely obese, they need a low carb program.

Therefore, sweets, pastries, some fruits (grapes and dates) are eliminated from the diet, leaving only healthy carbohydrates contained in cereals, vegetables, etc.