Lowering your cholesterol can be a huge step in decreasing your risks of health complications such as heart disease.

General tips

Saturated fats should be avoided or reduced, and trans fats (found mainly in animal-based fats and processed foods) should be cut out if possible. Fats are high in kilojoules, but you don’t need to scrutinise your diet by counting kilojoules. Instead, work towards phasing out kilojoule-heavy foods and replacing them with healthier alternatives.

    • Switch from normal soft drinks to diet soft drinks.
    • Use skim milk instead of whole or reduced fat milk.
    • Replace butter with low fat butter substitutes.
    • Switch to ‘lite’ foods.

Right foods to eat

    • Oatmeal lowers your LDL without lowering your HDL.
    • Fish is a good source of omega 3 fatty acids, lowers LDL, raises HDL and lowers triglycerides.
    • Nuts are high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and they lower LDL.
    • Soy has been shown to lower LDL.
    • Fibre lowers your cholesterol. It can be found in kidney beans, green peas, broccoli, apples, brown rice and whole-grain breads.
    • Antioxidants in foods, such as vitamins A, C and E, lower the chances of LDL building up in your arteries. You can get your antioxidant vitamins in foods such as strawberries, oranges and melons.

Cooking tips

    • Use whole-grain flour instead of white flour.
    • Buy lean meats, such as turkey or chicken, instead of red meat, and trim all the visible fat from it before cooking.
    • Cook with vegetable oil, which is high in polyunsaturated fats, and olive and canola oils, which are high in monounsaturated fats.
    • Instead of frying, boil, broil, bake, roast, poach or steam meats, and drain off all fat before eating.
    • Reduce your salt intake by using herbs to flavour your meals, and avoiding salty snack foods, pickles, cured meats and cheeses.

Eating out

    • Don’t be afraid to ask how your food is prepared and to voice how you want it prepared.
    • Ask restaurants to not add salt.
    • Get foods that are steamed, broiled, baked, grilled, poached or roasted.

 

Our Employee Wellbeing Programme (EAP) is available 24 hours a day if you want to discuss high cholesterol and your diet.