Cholesterol-Declassified

Why do we need to lower our cholesterol?

Recipes that help you lower and maintain a good level of cholesterol are important to your overall health. (1) There are numerous healthy low cholesterol recipes you can utilize for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Just because you have to resort to a low cholesterol recipe, does not mean you have to sacrifice taste and flavor in your meals.

Eating healthy means understanding which foods will raise your cholesterol. When cholesterol intake levels are high, fats will be deposited on the walls of our blood vessels. (4) These deposits called plaque can cause arterial blockages which restrict blood flow to the heart. This can cause the blood vessels to narrow and decrease blood flow, decreased blood flow leads to other serious health risks. These risks include: hypertension, problems with blood clotting, and can ultimately lead to a heart attack or stroke.

Some fats help lower cholesterol; others should be avoided when preparing a low cholesterol meal. Many existing recipes can be turned into lower cholesterol recipes; it comes down to the ingredients you use to prepare them. (1) You can replace “bad” fats with “good” fats, so instead of using butter, polyunsaturated fats and margarine .you can use olive oil and natural oils.

Frying your food should be avoided Use other cooking methods, such as, roasting broiling, baking, or steaming instead of frying. With these cooking methods you will be able to reduce your intake of bad fats with your meals.. You may have to get used to a different taste, but it is well worth it. Use lower-fat meat like poultry, lamb and beef in your low cholesterol. Seafood rich in omega-3 oils including tuna, herring, and salmon are known for lowering cholesterol.

Eat at home, natural and simple to prepare foods are the best choice. Restaurants use heavy oils instead of low cholesterol ones. Traditional healthy oils such as olive oil and oils containing omega 3 help reduce overall fat intake. When trying to maintain and lower your cholesterol levels, preparing your own meals from a low cholesterol cookbook and eating at home is beneficial.

Enjoy all the benefits of organic fruits and vegetables. Organic fruits and vegetables are key ingredients and should be a part of any cholesterol reducing diet. There are countless whole foods with health benefits. Fresh fruit contains natural anti-oxidants one example of an essential vegetable is the cucumber. (2) Cucumbers are rich in all kinds of vitamins as well as calcium, phosphorus, iron, and other sorts of minerals. In traditional Chinese medicine, cucumbers are diuretic; they help reduce swelling, especially under your eyes thus improving your looks.

Use a variety of spices to lower your salt intake. Most of us know that too much salt intake can cause many health problems including higher bad LDL cholesterol values. There is a large variety of low salt spice blends and salt substitutes on the market and the list is growing. For this reason, in low cholesterol recipes you can reduce salt by relying on more herbs and spices.

Low cholesterol recipes also help you eliminate sugar and refined carbohydrates

You can reduce sweets and refined foods by choosing healthy alternatives. (6) Naturally sweets like honey and agave are sensible substitutes Few people realize that eating sweets and other high glycemic index foods increase triglycerides and cholesterol production in our bodies. Processed sugars and starches tend to lead to health problems.. These foods are very addictive.

More complex carbohydrate-rich foods like smart pasta, whole grains, beans, brown rice, peas and sweet potatoes help lower your overall cholesterol and stabilize your blood sugar. Reducing the amount of carbohydrates in your low cholesterol recipes is easy. You will stop craving complex carbs when you consume less of them.. (4) Once you begin to reduce your intake of sugary and high fat food, you’ll find that fruits, vegetables and whole grains are tastier and satisfying.

Moreover, when you’re preparing lunch for work, you should keep in mind foods that will help you through the mid-day energy slump. (7) Each person has a favorite snack recipe that works for their particular metabolism. Whether it be paleo protein balls, homemade granola, or a boiled egg, you should keep these favorite foods on hand for easy to make lunches.

Foods containing higher fiber are recommended for a healthy heart. The jury is out on how much fiber we should consume. Thirty grams seems a reasonable amount but most of us do not get enough fiber. A small increase in your fiber intake can be as beneficial to your health as a complicated diet.

Water is essential to any cholesterol lowering lifestyle. Consuming plenty of fluids helps your body to eliminate extra cholesterol. Vegetable soups and low salt broths are useful in your low cholesterol recipes. (5) Water helps flush toxins from our bodies and this cleansing can also result in weight loss. Drinking more water and cutting down on caffeine and alcohol is a positive step. Caffeine and alcohol have been shown to raise cholesterol. Cutting down to one cup of coffee is doable for most of us. Although wine has tannins that act as antioxidants it should be savored on special occasions.

Changes to your cholesterol counts can be easier than you imagine. (3) So prepare yourself beautiful breakfast smoothie or a homemade natural juice, keep some veggies in your fridge to cook and snack on, and add nuts and berries to your late night snack. Lowering your cholesterol will happen one small step at a time.

Here are 3 low cholesterol recipes you should try 

Shish Kabobs

Servings:  4

Equipment:          Skewers

Technique:           Grilled

Cooking and Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Ingredient list:

1    Pound Lamb boneless shoulder

¼   Cup Lemon juice

2    Tablespoon Olive or vegetables

2    Teaspoon Salt

2    Teaspoon Chopped fresh or ½ ts

Dried oregano leaves (to taste)

¼   Teaspoon Pepper

1    Pepper – Green bell pepper cut into 1-inch pieces

1 Medium Onion, cut into eights

1 Cup Cubed eggplant

Instructions:

Trim excess fat from lamb shoulder.

Cut lamb into 1 inch cubes.

Place lamb in glass or plastic bowl.

Mix lemon juice, oil, salt, oregano and pepper.

Pour over lamb.

Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours, stirring occasionally.

Remove lamb from marinade; reserve marinade.

Set over control to 550 degrees F.

Thread lamb on four 11 inch metal skewers, leaving space between each one.

Broil with tops about 3 inches from heat 5 minutes; turn.

Broil with reserved marinade.

Broil 5 minutes longer.

Alternate bell pepper, onion and eggplant on each of the four 11 inch metal skewers, leaving space between each piece.

Place vegetables on rack in broiler pan with lamb.

Turn lamb.

Brush lamb and vegetables with marinade.

Broil kabobs 4 to 5 minutes turning and brushing twice with marinade, until brown.

Fajitas

Servings:  8

Equipment:          Fajita Pan

Technique:           Frying

Cooking and Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients list:

1 ½ Pound Boneless chicken breast

2    Cloves Garlic cloves

2    Peppers Jalapeno peppers

½  Cup Olive oil

1/3 Cup Dry sherry

1 Tablespoon Chili powder

1 Teaspoon Ground cumin

Instructions:

Slice the chicken breast into long ½ inch wide strips.

To make the marinade, drop garlic cloves and jalapeno peppers through the feed tube of a food processor with the chopping blade in place and the motor running until chopped finely (10 seconds or so).

Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor and process until smooth (about another 10 seconds).

Pour the marinade over the chicken and let marinate for 2 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator, turning occasionally.

Preheat the oven broiler.

Drain the chicken, reserving the marinade.

Arrange the chicken on a rack on a broiler tray and broil 3 inches from the heat source for 5 minutes; turn, baste with marinade, and broil for another 5 minutes.

Serve with warmed tortillas, shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, chopped tomatoes, and salsa Verde.

Note: don’t forget to add shrimp and steak for even more variety!

Pasta with Veggies

Equipment:          Large pot

Technique:           Boiling

Ingredient List:

1/3 Cup Olive oil

2   Tablespoons Red wine vinegar

Teaspoon Dried basil

Teaspoon Dried oregano

To Taste Salt and pepper

Red bell pepper, chopped

Green pepper, chopped

2   Cloves Garlic, minced

Carrots

1 ½  Cup Broccoli florets, lightly steamed or blanched

1 Cups uncooked rotini pasta

Instructions:

Mix together the oil, vinegar, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil; add rotini and bring to a boil again. Cook until rotini is al dente; drain well.

Return the rotini to the pot.

While rotini is cooking, heat oil in a frying pan and saute red bell pepper, garlic and carrots. Cook until vegetables are softened.

Place the broccoli in the frying pan and cook another 2 minutes.

Pour the cooked vegetables into the pot with the pasta. Pour the vinaigrette over the pasta and vegetables. Toss to distribute vegetables and vinaigrette evenly.

 

References:

http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/collections/lower+cholesterol+recipes

http://www.foodnetwork.com/topics/low-cholesterol-recipes.html

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/cholesterol-friendly

https://heartuk.org.uk/cholesterol-and-diet/tasty-recipes

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Cholesterol/CholesterolToolsResources/Recipes-for-Cholesterol-Management_UCM_305655_Article.jsp#.V2eKrKJlDIU

http://www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/nutrition-101/lower-cholesterol-naturally

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/recipe_slideshows/quick_low_cholesterol_recipes