Heart Health: Volume 7 – Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a waxy fat like substance that is made by our liver. This is important to help keep us healthy by making hormones, aiding in digestion and absorbing vitamin D. Cholesterol is also found in some foods such as meat and dairy items. Since our body already makes cholesterol, we do not need to eat foods high in cholesterol, as this will lead us to having excess amounts. This excess creates deposits in our blood vessels, causing them to narrow and harden. These deposits or narrowing increases the pressure the heart has to use to pump blood throughout our bodies.
There are two different types of cholesterol. When you get your blood drawn for your annual doctor visit, there is usually a test run on your blood that says “HDL” (high-density lipoprotein) and one that says “LDL”. HDL's role is to absorb cholesterol in the blood and carry it back to the liver, where it is then removed from the body. Remember we want the LDL to be low. The HDL is the “good” cholesterol and we want that to be high. A good lab result for HDL would be 60 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl) and for LDL we would want it to be less than 100 mg/dl. Your primary care provider may have different ranges for these labs.
Some of us are predisposed to having higher cholesterol based on genetics. This is called familial hypercholesterolemia. It makes it more difficult for your body to get rid of LDL- remember this is the cholesterol we want to be low or have less of. This happens to about 1 in 250 people and increases your risk of heart attack and stroke earlier in life. However, there are some steps you can take to combat this. Lifestyle modifications are considered the first line of defense. Advanced help in the form of prescription medication is also available if you have the genetic mutation or if you don’t respond to the lifestyle modifications. It is important that if prescribed, you take them consistently and don’t discontinue without consulting your provider. These numbers take time to decline, so consistency is key.
These lifestyle modifications include limiting foods with high cholesterol content. Full fat dairy products (butter, cheese, milk, and cream cheese), deep fried foods and sweet goods (doughnuts, pies, and biscuits) are high in cholesterol as well as fats. These are generally not ideal to have as a main source of nutrition. We also have to monitor red meat products that contain beef and pork. This includes items like sausage, steak, bacon, and pepperoni.
Red meat and dairy have the benefit of being high protein, which is good and necessary in our diet. The good news is that often we can get low fat, or fat free options of dairy items. These fat free, or low fat options often have lower calorie contents as well. You can also try to choose lean cuts of meat, lower fat levels, and pay attention to portion sizes. In place of deep frying food, you can air fry or bake food to help make it crispy, if that is the part you enjoy from deep fried foods.
Yes, higher fat equates to more flavor, but you can still make things taste good with lower fat options. Low sodium seasonings such as garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and paprika are all good additions to a savory dish. This week, challenge yourself to try at least two heart healthy recipes and limit your cholesterol intake. Best of luck!
