Many foods give us enormous pleasure to eat. However, many of these foods contain remarkably high in fat, salt and cholesterol and should be shunned by people who have high cholesterol levels or other danger factors for heart disease. Fries, chicken, chips, etc., may taste good, but, on the other hand, if you have it on a daily basis, it is sure to spoil your health. All these foods are loaded with cholesterol, fat and sodium. Nevertheless, no one knows exactly how much of these components is present in the foods.
According to American Heart Association, a diet which is high in saturated fats, cholesterol and trans fats can increase blood cholesterol levels which in turn can put you at risk for heart disease. Several foods that are made from animals such as meat and dairy products contain saturated fats. On the other hand, fast foods and baked foods contain a considerable amount of trans fats. You cannot say that Cholesterol is very bad for your health, it is good upto a certain extent. It is required by the body to keep producing healthy cells. Having high cholesterol puts your heart at risk, so it is necessary to maintain the adequate amount of cholesterol level in our body. The American Heart Association suggests on restricting your total daily consumption of cholesterol to 300 milligrams or even less if you are healthy. If you want your cholesterol levels under your control, you may need to avoid foods that contain saturated fats and trans fats. Here are ten foods that contain high cholesterol and you can keep away from these foods so as to ensure sound health.
High Cholesterol Foods to Avoid
1. Whole-Fat Dairy Products
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It is better to go easy on milk products which have more than 1% milk fat. These products may include Cream, cheese non-dairy coffee creamers. Non-fat dairy products, Toned milk and Fat-free milk are the products which are much better compared to whole dairy products.
2. Egg Yolks
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Eggs, as we all know, is rich in protein and comes along with a lot of benefits. Nevertheless, egg yolks are packed with cholesterol, which could harm our health and body. So, we would suggest you have egg whites and eliminate the yellow part.
3. Fast Foods
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Fast foods like Tacos, fries, burgers, fried chicken and packed chips are high in both saturated fat and total fat. You can substitute these with better options like grilled sandwiches, salads with low-fat dressing and other foods that are not fried.
4. Meat, Poultry and Fish
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Meat, fish and poultry, if taken in right quantities, is good for health. However, if again the amount of intake in increased, it affects our health. Restrict these to no more than 5 oz (140 g) per day. Also, even these out by eating other low-cholesterol foods.
5. Ice-creams
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Supposedly, ice-creams are a high cholesterol food product. You would be even more surprised to know that it has, even more, fat than a deep-fried snack! If you have a craving for ice creams, you would better stick on to the homemade fruit ice creams.
6. Alcohol
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If alcohol is consumed in limited quantities, then it is not that harmful. Moreover, it might have positive effects on your heart, if consumed adequately. However, immoderate or excessive drinking, especially hard liquor, can increase cholesterol levels to an undesired degree.
7. Baked Food Items
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Say ‘No’ to muffins, cakes, croissants and quick bread!! These products are made from hydrogenated or saturated fats, whole milk or whole eggs and can significantly increase the cholesterol level in your body.
It is better to go for low-fat baked goods and restrict the use of toppings or spreads.
8. Nuts
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How can you cut out nuts from your diet, when it is the only snack option for those ‘hunger pangs’ in between the meals? However, some of these nuts are rich in saturated fat, which in turn is bad for our health. Only some of the nuts, such as pine nuts, almonds and hazelnuts provide a balanced cholesterol level.
9. Aerated Drinks
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It is time for you to stop ordering the aerated drinks to quench your thirst. These drinks are high in sugar content, and this sugar can quickly affect your cholesterol levels. Even otherwise, aerated drinks are not good for a steady health.
10. Liver
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All must be knowing the fact ‘Cholesterol is produced and stored in the liver’. However, when you consume liver, it tends to increase the level of cholesterol in our body, atleast temporarily. It all relies upon your body’s needs, if the added cholesterol is utilised up to meet body functions or add to the cholesterol, your body will not use.
Other than these, typical mac-and-cheese are packed with cholesterol and saturated fats. However, this ‘all-American’ satisfaction recipe does not have to be one of that high-cholesterol food, if you try and ‘customise’ it. By using low-fat cheese or replacing 1 percent milk and evaporated milk for whole milk and butter, helps in limiting your calories and have your macaroni and cheese with less than half the cholesterol and fat of your favourite recipe.
