By Ruvimbo Jeche
A person’s risk of heart disease and stroke rises as blood cholesterol levels increase. The good news is, you can make lifestyle changes to lower your cholesterol by eating foods low in saturated fat and cholesterol, losing weight if you need to and exercising 30 – 40 minutes on most days of the week. By lowering your blood cholesterol level, you’ll cut your risk for heart disease and stroke. A diet to lower your cholesterol includes foods from the chart below that are low in total fat, saturated fat, transfat, and cholesterol.
| FOOD GROUP | RECOMMENDATIONS | EXAMPLE FOOD |
| GRAINS | Half of the grains should be whole | Whole grain breads and cereals, including oats and barley Pasta, especially whole wheat Brown rice |
| VEGETABLES | Eat more dark green vegetables Eat more orange vegetables Eat more dry beans and peas like pinto beans kidney beans and lentils | Broccoli spinach Carrots Sweet potatoes |
| FRUITS | Eat a variety of fruits from fresh, through frozen to dried | |
| MILK | Opt for low-fat or fat-free when you choose milk, yoghurts or other milk products If you cannot consume milk, choose lactose free products or other sources of calcium | low-fat, or 1% fat milk or buttermilk Nonfat or low-fat yogurt or cottage cheese Fat-free and low-fat cheese |
| MEAT AND BEANS | Choose low fat or lean meats and poultry. Bake it, broil it or grill it Vary your protein routine; | Lean cuts of beef and pork (loin, legs) Skinless poultry Fish Wild game Dried beans and peas Nuts and nut butters Choose more fish, beans, peas, nuts and seeds Egg whites or egg substitute |
| FATS AND OILS | Partially hydrogenated oils Tropical oils omega-3 fats unsaturated oils | coconut, palm, and palm kernel oils Butter Stick margarine Shortening salmon, tuna, mackerel, and sardines. olive, peanut, soy, sunflower, canola |
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