Tips To Control Cholesterol: The problem of high cholesterol is increasing rapidly. Most of the people now work sitting at one place for hours and do very little physical activity. Along with this, people consume a lot of junk food, which causes harm to health. Bad lifestyle, consumption of unhealthy foods and lack of physical activity are the biggest reasons for increasing cholesterol. When the amount of cholesterol in our body exceeds normal, then it gets deposited in our blood arteries. This disrupts the blood supply and increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. Therefore it is important to control cholesterol. Carelessness regarding this can be fatal.
Kamini Sinha, founder and dietitian of Diet Mantra Clinic, Noida, told News18. A major cause of high cholesterol is wrong eating habits. There are many things which we eat with great gusto, but they are full of unhealthy fat. These gradually act as poison for our heart. If you want to keep your cholesterol under control, then you should immediately remove unhealthy foods from your diet. These foods harm your heart health and increase the risk of heart attack. Apart from this, they also increase the risk of many other serious diseases.
These 5 foods can increase cholesterol level
Processed meat and red meat: Processed meats like sausage and bacon are cholesterol increasing foods. These contain high amounts of sodium and saturated fat, which accelerate the process of plaque accumulation in the arteries. Similarly, red meat also contains a lot of saturated fat. It is important to stay away from both these foods. If you want to eat non-veg, then instead of red meat you can eat lean proteins like fish or chicken, because these do not harm heart health.
Fried foods rich in trans fat: Fried foods available in the market like French fries, samosas, kachoris and pakodas taste amazing, but they are full of trans fat. Trans fat increases bad cholesterol rapidly. To make these foods, oil is heated repeatedly, due to which its quality is lost and it becomes extremely dangerous for the body. To control cholesterol, it is very important to stay away from deep-fried things.
Bakery products and flour containing foods: Bakery products like cookies, cakes, pastries and white bread are as attractive as they look, but they are equally harmful for health. To make these, dalda or hydrogenated oil is often used, which is the main source of saturated fat. The refined sugar and flour present in them increase the level of triglycerides in the body. Along with increasing weight, these products harden the arteries of the heart, which can lead to the problem of blood pressure.
Full-fat dairy products: Generally milk and its products are considered good for health, but if you have cholesterol problem, then full-fat dairy products should be avoided. Cream milk, butter, full-fat cheese and cream have high amounts of saturated fat. Excessive consumption of these can cause cholesterol levels in the blood to increase rapidly. Instead of this, you can use skimmed milk, low fat curd or cheese in small quantities. This will provide calcium and protein to the body and cholesterol will also not increase.
Packaged snacks and junk food: Packaged snacks like chips, frozen food and instant noodles have become a part of today’s lifestyle. To keep these food items safe for a long time, preservatives and unhealthy fats are used in them. The salt hidden in them increases blood pressure, while the palm oil present in it spoils the cholesterol level. Regular consumption of junk food slows down the metabolism and increases the risk of heart disease manifold.
