Who DOESN'T love a big juicy hamburger??!! Well, unfortunately...your arteries :-/
Some people just luck out in life- They can eat all they want, whatever they want, stay thin, healthy, energetic, happy...Wait- who is that? You? Me? Your neighbor down the street? The human body is the same where ever you go- it needs nourishing foods, things that provide the macro and micro nutrients that run the body. Things like whole grains and produce, not artificial and over processed, "made in a lab" foods. YUCK.
My husband (Lord help me, I hope he doesn't mind me telling...) found out his cholesterol levels were high a couple of years ago. Since then we decided on nixing the bad and, more importantly, increasing the good in our diets. I will not get into the deeps of cholesterol and how your body deals with it here. What I will say is there is good and bad cholesterol. Some your body needs. Most it does not.
People tend to blame their high cholesterol on eating dietary cholesterol- and just shop according to the "cholesterol" on the label. However, there is much evidence that eating cholesterol as an already made product is not the cause of this country's epidemic of heart disease. While it does play a role, what you really want to look at are the saturated and trans fat levels of food. It is from this type of fat that your body makes it's own bad cholesterol. You will notice that often saturated fats and cholesterol are found in the same products. Lets take at look foods that are high in saturated fats:
Hard cheese, real butter/lard, ice cream, dairy creamer, cream cheese, whipped cream, eggs, yogurt, alfredo sauce, fatty beef, pork, salted meats (inc bacon), and obviously things made with these products- Baked goods, fried foods.
The best way to combat these things in your diet is to buy the lower fat versions (that are still made with real ingredients) like grass fed beef, cage free eggs, butter made with olive oil. You also should just use less. America has made a big stink about Dairy and getting enough of it in the last few decades, and it has gotten out of hand! Milk is not the only source of calcium, protein and vitamin D (which they add so you can absorb the calcium, btw). A serving or two a day of these things is fine, but don't over do it.
There is a worse culprit than saturated fat- Trans fat. This is where I think a lot of people get hit hard. Some of the cheapest things out there are prepackaged foods, especially if you are a couponer like me. Heck, a lot of it turns out free! The problem is, those prepacked boxes of rice mixes, brownies, taco seasoning, and snack foods contain a little devil- hydrogenated oils. Hydrogenated oils get that way by taking the original products and heating it at very high heats until it actually changes the amino acid/ chemical structure of the oil. Your body tries to use the oil like it would the original product, but it leaves the cells weak and not functioning to their utmost capacity. They also have been proved to increase your BAD cholesterol levels. Manufacturers can be very sneaky about this stuff. Many labels now contain the "trans fat"section, but they do not have to claim any trans fat in a product if there is less than 1.5 grams per serving. WHAT? Yup, the box can actually say "no trans fat" when there might be 1 gram per serving. You are best off reading the ingredients and making sure you are eating something made with real food, not chemically altered stuff. I would much rather you have a TBS of real butter on your bread than a tsp of margarine. At least butter is natural.
Foods commonly high in Trans Fat: Commercially prepared crackers, snacks, baked goods, non dairy creamer, shortening (ingredient:hydrogenated oil. thats it. eww), fried foods, fast food. Check your ingredient lists! Cooking from scratch can cut out a lot of trans fat.
So what foods are OK? This following list is of foods that can serve as replacements for the above. Some still contain some cholesterol/saturated fats, but less than our previous lists. So here goes:
Chicken, turkey, very lean red meat, bread, nuts, real fruit juice, skim milk, low fat cheese (like Mozzarella), pasta sauce, corn chips, egg whites, olive oil, and canola oil.
Now we know how to keep our diets lower in cholesterol/saturated fats. But how can we actually lower our BAD cholesterol, and restore our bodies? The answer is by eating things that help increase our GOOD cholesterol!! Here is a list foods that can increase your GOOD and decrease your BAD- Try to incorporate them into your diet!
-whole grain oatmeal/bran, barley, beans, legumes, apples, bananas, grapefruit, strawberries, lettuce/greens, tomatoes, peas, broccoli, corn, carrots, potatoes, garlic, tea. Whole grains and antioxidents are key words here!
Last but not least, exercise is KEY to maintaining a healthy cholesterol level. Get that heart pumping! I am not going to focus on this point today, but the American Heart Associate was recommending at least 30 minutes a day doing moderate exercise last time I checked. Go on a brisk walk tonight!
Start playing with your already existing recipes- when cooking use half as much butter and replace the rest with extra virgin olive oil. Skip the extra cheese on your next pizza. Replace 1/2 the white flour with whole wheat, or spelt flour. Have homemade berry cobbler instead of a bowl of ice cream. Start small, and you'll see (and feel!) the difference in no time.
Later this week I plan on doing a "part 2" with heart healthy recipes and some tips on how to get healthier foods more cheaply. Will you join me? Please leave suggestions or questions in the comment feed!
Here's to living- Happier, Healthier, more FRUGAL lives!!
~~FrugalMegan~~
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