I went visiting a family recently. I happened to see a friend of mine. She is in her twenties. She is slender and quite tall.She told me she had some numbness of her right hand and right leg a few weeks back and in panic she ran to the hospital. All her tests were normal until her cholesterol levels were tested and her results revealed they were hitting the roof.
You can begin to reduce your “bad” LDL cholesterol by making a few simple changes in your diet.
A good start: eat a diet low in salt and saturated fat and high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and get 150 minutes each week of moderate-intensity exercise, such as brisk walking or swimming.
If your cholesterol is creeping upward, your doctor has probably told you that diet and exercise — the traditional cornerstones of heart health — could help to bring it down. A If you’d prefer to make just one change at a time, you might want to begin with your diet.Several research involving hundreds of men and women found that dietary changes reduced LDL and total cholesterol while exercise alone had no effect on either. (However, adding aerobic exercise did enhance the lipid-lowering effects of a heart-healthy diet.)
The people in the studies followed a variety of diets, from Mediterranean to low-fat to low-calorie. However, the most effective diets substituted foods with cholesterol-lowering power for those that boosted cholesterol. Eating with your LDL in mind doesn’t have to be an exercise in self-deprivation. While you may have to say goodbye to a few snacks and fast foods, you can replace them with others that are equally satisfying. You don’t have to follow an all-or-nothing approach. It’s really a matter of common sense.
1.Weed out the worst fats
There is so much evidence implicating trans fats in heart disease The first thing to do when I’m counseling patients is to go over all the sources of trans fats in their diet and make substitutions
Trans fats are created by adding hydrogen to a liquid fat to help it solidify. Food manufacturers started using trans fats because they extend the shelf life of packaged baked goods. Fast-food purveyors took to them because they can be reused again and again. It is used a lot in Nigeria and especially in Kano. There are a lot of 'Panke' based items sold in Kano and one needs to watch out. To avoid eating them inadvertently, scrutinize the labels on food packages before you put them in your shopping cart. If you see “partially hydrogenated” in the list of ingredients, pass that product by. If trans fats aren’t banned from restaurants in your area which is very likely ask if the cook uses partially hydrogenated oil before you order( that's hoping you get an honest reply)
Saturated fats and dietary cholesterol, which are derived primarily from animal products, aren’t exactly heart-healthy, but it’s all right to eat them in small amounts. The popular 'Mai-Nshanu' is another heavily eaten cholesterol laden fat. Eggs are such a good source of nutrients, it’s okay to have as many as four yolks a week and whites as often as you like. If you must have red meat, shrimp, lobster, high-fat cheeses, butter and organ meats — only small portions every couple of weeks or so.
2.Eat more of the better fats
Both polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids help lower LDL. Most plant-derived oils, including canola, safflower, sunflower, olive, grapeseed, and peanut oils, contain both. I'm a fan of olive oil and peanut oil. Fatty fish (such as salmon, tuna, trout, herring, and mackerel), seeds, nuts, avocados and soybeans are also great sources.
3.Go crazy with color
Fruits and vegetables have lotd of ingredients that lower cholesterol — including fibre, cholesterol-blocking molecules called sterols and stanols, and eye-appealing pigments. The heart-healthy list spans the color spectrum — leafy greens, yellow pumpkins, carrots, tomatoes, etc. As a rule, the richer the hue, the better the food is for you.
4.Don’t be too refined
Whole grains are another good source of fibre. Instead of refined flour and white rice, try whole-wheat flour and brown or wild rice or our local rice. Old-fashioned oatmeal is also a good choice, but not the quick-cooking versions, which have had much of the fibre processed out.
And don’t substitute sugar for fat.It’s one of the worst choices you can make.Food manufacturers may boost the sugar content of low-fat salad dressings and sauces to add flavor. If you see sugar, corn syrup, or any word ending in “ose” near the top of the list of ingredients, choose a higher-fat version without trans fats instead. I prefer to make my own salad dressings.
5.Remember: Calories still count
All fats, whether good or bad, have nine calories per gram — about 100 calories a tablespoon. While you switch to a heart-healthy diet you may need to keep tabs on your calorie intake for a while.
Dr Dileem
The Likita Bokanturai
Kano Nigeria
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