A low cholesterol and saturated fat lifestyle is recommended for people in order to prevent heart attacks, cardiovascular diseases and strokes. Although it can be helpful for people if they start reading food labels for learning about levels of saturated fat and cholesterol, it is even better if they choose to replace their fatty food lifestyle with nutrient-dense and lean foods because this reduces their chances of heart problems and clots in the future. There are some tips that individuals can follow in order to maintain low cholesterol levels in the body. These include:

• Making Substitutions

People can lower their fat and cholesterol intake and continue to eat whatever they like at the same time when they choose to substitute types of food and ingredients for healthier and low-cholesterol alternatives. For instance, rather than eating a whole egg, people can choose to eat two egg whites instead. Cream, butter and whole milk can also be replaced with low fat alternatives that include 2% of skim milk and margarine. Apart from that, dairy products that are high in cholesterol such as cream cheese, sour cream and cottage cheese are also known to have low-fat and cholesterol options.

• Alternative Cooking Methods

Your overall cholesterol levels and also your health can be impacted by the way you cook and what you use to cook. It is possible that even a healthy piece of lean meat such as turkey or chicken breast becomes high in cholesterol when it is breaded, soaked or fried in unhealthy oils. It is best to prepare lean meats and vegetables by steaming, grilling or roasting them. A small drop of vegetable oil should be used for sautéed foods. Shortening, lard and other fatty oils can be substituted with low cholesterol alternatives like sunflower, olive and canola oil.

• Herbs and Spices

A low cholesterol diet is infringed when individuals eat high sodium seasonings, butter or heavy sauces like barbecue sauces. Lots of oils, butter and other fatty ingredients are usually included in most heavy sauces. You can give your lean meats and vegetables the same flavor with herbs and spices that don’t have high sodium content. Over time, your taste buds will eventually get used to the natural yet blander taste of food when there is a lack of heavy sauces in your diet.

• Lean Foods

It has been substantiated through research and constantly mentioned by every doctor that bad cholesterol levels will rise because of the cholesterol and fat that’s found in red meats as well as meat that contains visible fat layers like steak. It is better for individuals to opt for lean foods such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean meats because it keeps cholesterol levels low. If a meat with visible fat has been purchased, it is best to cut off the fat and boost the heart-healthy content of the meat.

With these tips, people can keep their cholesterol levels low and ensure the health of their heart in the best possible way.