Modern studies show that more than 80% of people over 30 years old face the problem of high cholesterol in the blood. Moreover, both women and men suffer from this. But since female and male organisms have many differences, the problem of elevated cholesterol needs to be addressed in different ways. How to eat with high cholesterol, and what you need to do, this article will tell.
Causes of an increase in blood cholesterol
First of all, you should know that cholesterol is not always bad. Only its excess is a dangerous harbinger of cardiovascular disease. Our liver produces 2/3 of cholesterol, as it is the main building material for cells, nerve tissues, hormones and some vitamins. The remaining third of the cholesterol needed by the body we get from food.
Accordingly, the main reason for high blood cholesterol is its overabundance in food. Very rarely, the cause may be liver disease. In addition, a sedentary lifestyle also contributes to the accumulation and deposition of this substance on the walls of blood vessels.
Based on this, it is possible to determine what cannot be done with high cholesterol, but what is needed. You can not overeat, you need to move more and monitor what you eat.
Signs of High Cholesterol in Women
Sometimes even the appearance of a person can talk about an impending threat. Any woman can determine the approximate level of cholesterol in the blood, armed with a centimeter tape and a calculator.
The first sign of increased cholesterol in a woman will be a waist circumference of more than 88 cm. Fat deposits on the abdomen and waist (and not on the hips and legs, for example) indicate an imbalance.
If you have always been the owner of an aspen waist and still grow and grow up to 88 cm, and there are accumulations on the waist for a long time, or a lush waist has always been inherent in you, a slightly different method will help determine the degree of danger. By measuring the circumference of the waist and hips, you need to calculate the ratio between them. The result should not exceed 0.8. For example, with data: waist = 75 cm, hips = 101 cm, the ratio between them will be approximately 0.74, which fits into the norm. In men, this figure should not exceed 0.95.
When all external signs confirm your fears, you should immediately contact the nearest clinic and do a blood test.
How to lower cholesterol?
The most correct and safest way to lower cholesterol to normal levels is to control nutrition. A special diet for high cholesterol in women is the first recommendation of a cardiologist. In addition to the general recommendations of the doctor on this subject, you can always gather all the necessary information about proper nutrition from special literature and other sources. Having worked well on this topic, you will find not only a list of prohibited and permitted products, but also delicious recipes. With high cholesterol, proper nutrition will provide 80% success.
It is believed that a small dose of any alcoholic drink will also prevent the deposition of cholesterol on the walls of blood vessels. But here it is important not to overdo it, otherwise you can achieve the opposite effect. The daily norm is:
- 40 g of cognac or vodka;
- 130 g of dry wine;
- 150 g of beer.
Moderate physical activity and a sufficient amount of drunk water (1-1.5 liters per day) are also key to the health of the cardiovascular system.
What to eat with high cholesterol?
Saturated fats found in foods of animal origin contribute to an increase in blood cholesterol. Conversely, polyunsaturated fatty acids are not only not deposited in blood vessels, but also can reduce existing cholesterol levels. Therefore, if an imbalance occurs, you should switch to vegetable food and lean meat.
The norm for the intake of cholesterol in the body with food is 300 mg per day. But a diet with high cholesterol in women provides for a decrease in this indicator to 250 mg. Therefore, the choice of products should be based on this norm.
It is better to replace the meat with fish and legumes (soy, beans, peas), buy bread or bake only from wholemeal flour. Iām baking to replace oatmeal cookies or crackers.
Among healthy products: tea, olive, corn and sunflower oil, vegetable and fruit juices, cereals, vegetables, fruits.
What should not be eaten?
The following information will help answer the question of what they eat with high cholesterol. About 100 mg of cholesterol is contained in 100 g of products such as pork, beef, liver, smoked sausage, chicken skin, as well as in dishes with their use (dumplings, stew, pate). Thus, 300 g of dumplings (without oil, mayonnaise or sour cream) will already block the daily intake of cholesterol.
Further, caviar, squid, and sprats are subject to exclusion among seafood; from dairy products - sour cream, cream, fatty cottage cheese (more than 30%). Egg yolk contains a lot of cholesterol, so eggs can only be eaten boiled and no more than 2-3 pieces per week.
Prohibited foods also include: coffee, sugar, ice cream, sausages, boiled sausage, mayonnaise, butter, margarine, ketchup.
Menu and daily routine
A diet for high cholesterol in women is prescribed in two cases: if a blood test revealed a risk of atherosclerosis and stroke, that is, the level of cholesterol is already very high, or for prevention. In the first case, a strict diet is recommended , in the second, rare deviations from the course are allowed.
The daily routine of a woman should include 3-5 meals in small portions, a mandatory walk in the fresh air or light physical activity in the gym for 20-40 minutes (fitness, aerobics, swimming).
Despite the ban on many products, the diet of a woman with high blood cholesterol should be diverse and include all groups of products: meat, fish, cereals, vegetables and fruits, dairy products, legumes and oils.
Diet scheme
Despite high blood cholesterol, the diet should not be hungry.
The body should receive daily:
- fats - 70 g;
- proteins - 100 g;
- vitamins and minerals;
- carbohydrates - 350 g.
Of course, the most useful are fresh vegetables and fruits, boiled and baked meat and fish. When frying, free radicals are formed that will accelerate the formation of cholesterol plaques. Among the vitamins most necessary for atherosclerosis, A, B 1 , B 2 , C and E are distinguished, minerals - magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, iron and sodium.
Salt should be limited to 5 g and sugar to 35 g per day. Sugar can be replaced with honey.
A few examples of daily diet
A diet for high cholesterol in women may look like this:
Option 1
Breakfast: protein omelet - 150 g, buckwheat or wheat porridge - 90 g, a piece of bread, tea with milk (not more than 1.5% fat content) - 200 g.
Second breakfast: seaweed salad - 250 g, juice - 200 g.
Lunch: pea soup - 300 ml, steamed meat cutlets, steamed - 150 g, grilled vegetables - 150 g, a piece of bread, 2 - 3 apples or juice.
Snack: muesli or oatmeal - 150 g, broth of wild rose.
Dinner: fish baked with vegetables - 400 g (250 g - fish, 150 g - vegetables), boiled rice - 200 g, a piece of bread, a glass of kefir.
Option 2
Breakfast: oatmeal in water or skim milk with dried fruits and nuts - 200 g, tea or skim milk.
Second breakfast: vegetable salad (cucumbers, tomatoes, dill or parsley), seasoned with olive oil and spices - 200 g, a glass of juice.
Lunch: vegetable soup - 300 ml, baked lean meat with vegetables - 300 g, dried fruit compote.
Snack: low-fat cottage cheese - 150 g, a glass of tea.
Dinner: potatoes and fish, grilled - 200 g each, seaweed salad or beetroot with sunflower oil - 150 g, a glass of kefir or stewed fruit.
Remember that the variety of diet depends on your imagination. If it is exhausted, then look for menu options in special books or magazines - the benefit of the information is a lot.
High cholesterol choices
Each hostess can immediately offer several diet options for high cholesterol in women and men. But sometimes even the most skilled cook wants something new and unusual. Knowing the list of allowed and prohibited foods, you can experimentally come up with a variety of dishes yourself with high cholesterol. If nothing new comes to mind, we offer you some interesting and simple recipes.
Curd-mushroom mass with cream cheese and caraway seeds
For the dish you will need: 120 g of fresh mushrooms, 250 g of low-fat cottage cheese, 50 g of processed cheese, 40 g of margarine, caraway seeds, parsley, salt.
Wash the mushrooms thoroughly, peel, cut into slices and boil for 15 minutes in water with caraway seeds. At this time, mix the cottage cheese and cream cheese until a homogeneous consistency. Pour boiled mushrooms in a colander to glass the water. Then mix them with the curd mass, salt and add parsley. The dish is ready.
Chicken Medallions with Peaches
For the dish you will need: 250 g of chicken or turkey breast, 2 canned peaches, olive oil for frying, wheat flour, salt, curry and 50 ml of water.
Cut the breast into small longitudinal pieces, beat off a little and add salt. Next, fry the slices in olive oil until cooked under the lid. Remove the meat from the pan, and add flour, curry, water and 1 peach to the oil remaining after frying (it is better to remove the skin). Boil the sauce over low heat until slightly thickened. Put ready medallions on a plate, pour over the resulting sauce and garnish with the remaining peach. Bon Appetit!