A cholesterol free diet is the goal for someone whose overall level has risen to a dangerous level of 240 or more milligrams per deciliter in their blood test, and will be recommended for everyone who has a reading over 200. A persons level should be less than 200 to be a healthy level. Cholesterol free foods are fruits and vegetables, and white meat or fish that has been baked or grilled. Eggs, beef, and dairy products are generally foods to be avoided. If fried chicken is a regular dinnertime favorite, switch to grilled or baked to get control. The liver manufactures about eighty percent of the cholesterol in the body, and the rest comes from the food we eat. A propensity for producing more than anyone needs is often inherited.
Even if this problem is “in the genes,” so to speak, it is controllable by paying attention to the foods eaten. That has become increasingly easy to do over the past twenty years. It is possible to buy fat-free margarine and salad dressings, low fat lunch meats, and sugar free products, and they taste good enough to make really good substitutes for the stuff most people grew up on. Desserts are often the hardest to give up. There are recipes available these days that allow a person to have fat free desserts that are pleasing to the palate. There are many sources of recipes for a cholesterol free diet. In fact, most health-conscious diets limit those for general good health, and particularly heart health.
Eating a choice diet reduces the chance of having a heart attack dramatically. Heart problems within a family is another good reason for controlling this problem. A cholesterol free diet isn’t the only way to solve the problem. Additional exercise is important as well. Heavy weight lifting or running a marathon is not necessary, but regular exercise like walking every day is effective. Along with cholesterol free foods, a brisk 30-minute walk will bring down the numbers to acceptable levels. For some, a walk with a friend is the preferred walking regimen, while for others an early morning or evening walk alone is refreshing. Water aerobics, swimming, or regular mat exercises are effective as well, so pick whatever supplement that fits a personal lifestyle.
The presence of too much cholesterol in the blood leads to clots, which leads to strokes. When this happens near the heart, it can lead to a heart attack. Both men and women are at risk for heart attacks and strokes if they do not make a cholesterol free diet their health priority; however, women have a fifty percent higher chance of heart attack or stroke than men. That should not make men feel safe, however. Good health is a proper goal for every family. The development of good eating habits begins when children are young, so if parents find themselves not eating enough cholesterol free foods, they should be conscious of how this is going to affect their children. Obesity is becoming a national epidemic that would be turned around by a healthy diet in the home. God outlines some specific diets in the Bible, though none of them speak of this sort of diet. It is obvious that He cares about what His people put in their bodies and designed the human body to eat a certain way. Faithful prayer and much research will lead anyone to the right decisions concerning their specific dietary needs.
Before the effects of high levels were known, a lot of people lost their lives to heart attacks and/or strokes at an early age. With so much information available today, there is no good reason for people to die young from related illnesses. A diet of foods high with this substance usually results in weight gain, too. That may be the first clue that a problem exists. By bringing the weight back to an acceptable level with sensible, cholesterol free foods, could bring everything back in line. It should be noted that a certain amount of cholesterol is needed in the body, and the liver produces that. It’s just that there are too many sources outside the body that contribute toward raising the cholesterol levels above where they need to be. Screening by a physician should be a regular part of anyone’s health care.
Last, but not least, are the available reducing medicines that are now available. There are those people whose levels do not respond to diet and exercise alone, so medication is added to the cholesterol free foods. Quite a number of these products are on the market, so consult with a physician to see of one of them is appropriate for each specific situation.