A low cholesterol diet is important for a healthy and long life, as long as it is high in good cholesterol, HDL, which helps the body to rid itself of the bad cholesterol, LDL. As fat is important for energy, it is even more important to reduce or eliminate bad fats from any foods that we eat, even from what we drink. Too much fat and cholesterol can cause serious health problems, including heart disease.

The following things will lead to better health:

A diet free of saturated fat

A diet low in bad, LDL, cholesterol

A diet high in good, LDL, cholesterol

Limiting salt intake

Increasing fiber intake

Avoiding bad carbohydrates

Eating more complex carbohydrates

Keeping to a healthy body weight

Lowering calorie intake to a sensible amount

Doing plenty of exercise, including aerobics

The most highly recommended low cholesterol diet comes from the American Heart Association, who cannot say enough about the ‘Mediterranean Diet’. This diet is used by many countries, all of whom have the following list of commonalities:

Lots of fruits

Lots of vegetables

Limited whole wheat breads and cereals

Limited potatoes

Lots of legumes (peas, beans, lentils, etc,

Lots of nuts

Lots of seeds

Lots of extra virgin olive oil

Low-fat dairy products

Fish

Chicken

Very little red meat

One or two eggs per month

Moderate red wine amounts

The ‘Mediterranean Diet’ gets the majority of its energy from good fats, but needs to have the calories kept under control. Too much of anything is a bad thing. The diet is very low in saturated fats, and the consumption of olive oil provides healthy monounsaturated fats that keep bad cholesterol at bay, and the overall cholesterol levels low.

Here is an example of a ‘Mediterranean Diet’ that can be incorporated into any personal menu or low cholesterol diet plan:

Breakfast Lunch _________

¾ cup Whole grain cereal 1 cup, lentil soup

½ cup, 1 or 2%, or no-fat milk 1 whole grain roll

1 banana** ½ tbsp., extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp., low-fat olive margarine 1 cup, baby spinach

1 slice, whole wheat toast 1 cup, lettuce (radicchio)

½ tbsp., extra virgin olive oil ¼ cup, mushrooms, sliced

½ oz., sliced almonds 2 radishes, sliced

1 Roma tomato, sliced

½ oz, balsamic vinegar

Dinner Snack_______________________

1 ½ cups, wholegrain pasta ½ cup low-fat organic yogurt

½ cup, tomatoes, diced 1 cup blueberries**

½ cup, broccoli

¼ cup, red peppers, diced

¼ cup, mushrooms, diced

2 tbsp, extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp, low-fat parmesan, grated

½ cup, white kidney beans

½ oz., balsamic vinegar

2 elephant garlic cloves, crushed

3.5 oz. fish, chicken or low-fat red meat***

1 slice, whole wheat or grain bread

½ cup, red seedless grapes

** Note: these fruits can also be substituted with oranges, strawberries, and apples.**

***Note: red meats should only be eaten once per month, and can be substituted for buffalo, bison, veal, turkey or pork.***

It is easy to avoid bad fats and cholesterol by eating foods that are healthy. Most food packages now have labels that list the nutrient values per serving. These will list the percentages and amounts in other units of cholesterol, bad fats, minerals and vitamins.