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High Cholesterol : In Depth - Eating Healthy

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Learning About Fats

Understanding Food and Cholesterol

What you eat has a big effect on your body's cholesterol level. Eating certain foods can raise your cholesterol. Other foods can help you lower it. Watching what you eat can help you get your cholesterol level under control.

Understanding Dietary Fat

There are different kinds of fats in the foods you eat. Fats can be saturated or unsaturated. Planning meals that are low in saturated fat helps reduce the level of cholesterol in your blood. A healthy goal is to have less than 30% of your daily calories come from fat. Instead of fats, eat more fruits, grains, and vegetables.

Understanding Trans Fat

Research indicates that trans fat raises LDL cholesterol. The FDA is requiring food manufacturers to list the amount of trans fat a food contains on the label by 2006.

Putting Healthy Fats on Your Plate

Certain types of fats can actually help your heart, so you don't need to avoid fat altogether. Instead, watch how much and what type you eat.

Making Healthy Food Choices

High Cholesterol: Food Choices

Studies show that a diet low in saturated fat, dietary cholesterol, and total fat can lower blood cholesterol levels.

Eating for a Lifetime of Good Health

Eating a diet that can reduce your risk of disease and increase your longevity doesn't have to be difficult. Primarily, it requires paying attention to what you eat and gradually replacing less healthy foods and eating habits with healthier ones.

Reading Food Labels

Comparing labels will help you choose foods that are low in fat, cholesterol, sodium (salt) and calories.

Healthy Snacking

The body's fuel typically runs out within 4 to 6 hours after eating a meal. If you don't eat, you'll feel your energy level drop and your performance dwindle. Try packing snacks to bring with you to work, school, or wherever your busy schedule takes you. Otherwise, you'll end up relying on vending machines or convenience stores, where the selection is limited and many of the choices are high in fat and low in nutrients.

Cholesterol and Food

True or false? The surest way to keep your blood cholesterol in check is to avoid foods that are high in cholesterol.

Ideas to Help Fiber-Up Your Diet

Chew on this: If you're like many Americans, you're fiber-challenged. Most Americans consume only 15 grams of fiber daily instead of the recommended 20 grams to 35 grams, according to the National Cancer Institute. The USDA 2005 guidelines recommends 14 grams of fiber for every 1000 calories in the diet.

Cooking for a Low-Fat Lifestyle

Low-Fat Cooking Tips

Cooking with less fat may mean learning some new ways to cook. But it doesn't mean eating bland, boring food. And it doesn't mean spending hours in the kitchen. There are lots of ways to cook and season foods using less fat.

Simple Swaps for a Leaner Diet

Simply substituting skim milk for cream in your coffee can save you 10,000 calories a year. So imagine what five or six small changes will do. Your diet can become much leaner through food swapping, and you won't necessarily have to give up your favorite foods.

Adding Flavor to Low-Fat Meals