Cholesterol Diet Plans for Men and Women

Is your lipid profile showing high levels of bad cholesterol? Are you wondering how to lower your blood cholesterol levels naturally? If you replied positively, diet modifications can help you manage your cholesterol effortlessly. What you eat plays a key role in managing your blood cholesterol. A diet plan for lowering cholesterol can be an ideal solution to manage the condition naturally. Know more about cholesterol and which diets can help in cholesterol management.

What is Cholesterol?

Our liver produces cholesterol, a waxy substance, in optimum quantity for the healthy functioning of our body. It is crucial for the production of bile, vitamin D, and some hormones that play a key role in the development of the structure of our cells’ walls. However, when we consume unhealthy, oily foods, it results in the build-up of bad cholesterol (LDL), which is harmful to our health.

There are two prominent types of cholesterol, namely high-density lipoprotein HDL, which is also known as good cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein LDL, which is also known as bad cholesterol. The consumption of deep-fried foods, meals rich in saturated fats, and baked items containing trans fats results in a spike in LDL or bad cholesterol levels. Even though you may not experience any obvious symptoms of high levels of LDL, the bad cholesterol is harmful to your cardiovascular and overall health in a long run. LDL causes the build-up of plaque on the walls of your arteries. This causes narrowing of the blood vessels which restricts the flow of oxygen-rich blood through your entire body. It can also cause blood clots that can obstruct the blood flow, thereby resulting in stroke or heart attack. Diets for cholesterol management can help you reduce your LDL and boost your HDL naturally and without any side effects. High cholesterol diet plans help increase your HDL i.e. good cholesterol, which helps eliminate LDL from your body and safeguard you from the risk of stroke and heart attack. Here are some proven diet plans for cholesterol management.

5 Proven Diet Plans to Manage Cholesterol

Following diets for cholesterol does not mean being hungry often by restricting your food intake. Rather, healthy diet plans for cholesterol management focus on the intake of healthy food groups over junk food and less-healthy options. They help you maintain a healthy weight, reduce your cholesterol levels, and nourish you without taking a toll on your health. Healthy foods for lower cholesterol levels help you stay in pink of health and get in shape while you relish delicacies that please your taste buds. Check out the list of proven diets for cholesterol management.

1. Mediterranean Diet:

The Mediterranean diet is one of the most effective diets in lowering your cholesterol levels. It is rich in plant-based foods and monounsaturated (i.e. healthy) fat, such as fat from olive oil. Following a Mediterranean diet helps in reducing LDL and increasing HDL levels in your blood. Also, a healthy diet offers anti-inflammatory benefits that help you maintain good cardiovascular health. So, to follow the Mediterranean diet plan for lowering cholesterol, focus on eating whole grains, fresh vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, and moderate quantities of seafood and dairy.

2. DASH Diet:

While DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet is effective in reducing high blood pressure, it also works in lowering your levels of cholesterol in the blood. It is easy to follow and similar to the Mediterranean diet. DASH diet plan for low cholesterol management not just emphasizes the intake of fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, poultry, and fish, but also focuses on minimizing the intake of salt to help reduce blood pressure. The diet ensures a good intake of fibre and other essential nutrients.

To promote good health while managing your cholesterol and blood pressure, the DASH diet reduces your intake of sweets, foods with added sugar, sodium, and red meat. Additionally, the DASH diet works fast and you may experience results in a few weeks. The diet also reduces the risk of heart failure significantly.

3. TLC Diet

Another proven diet for cholesterol management is TLC (Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes) diet. It’s an all-inclusive lifestyle approach comprising certain dietary tips, weight management, and exercise plan to increase physical activity that help lower cholesterol naturally. The three-part cholesterol management plan emphasizes the intake of foods, such as whole grains, fruits, dairy, vegetables, and limited lean proteins in place of foods that are high in cholesterol, saturated fats, and total fat. So, it increases your intake of foods for lowering cholesterol levels and restricts the consumption of butter, processed meat, and pastries. Although you eliminate trans fats and saturated fats from your diet, you won’t feel deprived and you enjoy eating healthier foods.

TLC diet not just reduces your LDL but also helps in lowering your triglycerides, weight, and blood pressure. Certified dieticians can formulate TLC diets that help you relish food healthily while you keep your cholesterol in check.

4. Vegetarian and Vegan Diets:

A vegetarian diet includes foods for lowering cholesterol levels, such as vegetables, fruits, soy products, nuts, whole grain, and dairy, with no seafood, meat, and poultry. Following this plant-based diet offers a wide range of health benefits, such as managing blood pressure, reducing LDL, and healthy, sustainable weight loss. Also, a vegetarian diet helps reduce the risk of coronary artery disease significantly.

A vegan diet is another plant-based diet that lower your cholesterol levels naturally. It’s a vegetarian diet minus all animal-derived products, such as dairy, honey, eggs, gelatin, and whey. A vegan diet not just helps in cholesterol management by lowering LDL but also helps in achieving weight loss and reducing the risk of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and heart diseases. This is because these plant-based diets have no animal products so they are low in total fat, cholesterol, and saturated fats. Certified nutritionists can help you have customised vegetarian or vegan diets that help you get enough quantities of proteins and nutrients such as calcium, vitamin B12, vitamin D, iron, and zinc while managing your cholesterol.

5. Flexitarian Diet:

This healthy diet encourages the intake of vegetarian foods (i.e. plant-based foods) while allowing you to eat fish, poultry, and meat in moderation. It also leaves room for the consumption of low-fat dairy products in moderation. You enjoy several health benefits of this diet that also include lowering your LDL levels. The flexitarian diet encourages the intake of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and proteins from plants than that from animals. It restricts the intake of sweets and added sugar and prevents you from consuming processed foods. It also allows you to enjoy meat and animal products from time to time but in moderation. So, it helps you stay hale and hearty and manage cholesterol levels without compromising your favourite delicacies.

So, if you are experiencing a spike in your levels of LDL and looking for a solution with a healthy diet plan for lowering cholesterol, consult expert dieticians, such as health experts at Health Total, to receive a personalized diet for cholesterol management. Health Total’s certified nutritionists not just offer you a customised high cholesterol diet plan to boost your HDL but also help you manage your weight, nourish you with all essential nutrients, and minimize the risk of cardiovascular diseases. The integrated treatment approach for cholesterol management also includes Ayurveda and homeopathy that help promote self-healing and boosts your immunity while reducing LDL in your blood. For a personalized cholesterol management diet and treatment plan, book an appointment with Health Total experts online or over a call on 1-800-843-0206 and pave your way to enjoy a healthy and happy life.