What is Cholesterol? It can be described as a waxy substance that is produced by the liver. While everyone needs some cholesterol foods for our body to remain healthy, eating foods high in cholesterol can put you at risk for contracting certain health diseases such as heart attacks and strokes. Now there are namely 2 types of cholesterols; LDL which stands for Low Density Lipoprotein and HDL which is known as High Density Lipoprotein.

LDL or Low Density Lipoprotein is regarded as the bad cholesterol. This is the harmful cholesterol which clogs up a person’s arteries thus reducing blood flow, and increases the individual’s chances of getting a heart disease. Very often, this harmful cholesterol is accumulated through prolonged consumption of bad cholesterol foods.

On the other hand, HDL or High Density Lipoprotein can be said to be the good cholesterol. This cholesterol actually flushes out the bad cholesterol or LDL from a person’s bloodstream. By eating good cholesterol foods, one can actually boost an intake of this good cholesterol.

If you have a cholesterol monitor, you will be able to monitor your cholesterol levels on a regular basis. In the event that you find out you have high cholesterol, it will be wise to reduce the LDL bad cholesterol as much as you can within a short timeframe. It is rather impractical to consume cholesterol free foods as most foods naturally contain a certain level of cholesterol content. However, one can lower cholesterol levels by abstaining from high cholesterol foods as much as possible and at the same time, sticking to consumption of low cholesterol food. Below are a list of high cholesterol foods to stay away from and a list of foods to lower cholesterol.

List of High Cholesterol Foods

1) Fast-food such as hamburgers, sc

2) Fatty meats such as bacon, steak and sausages

3) High-fat dairy products

4) Shellfish

5) Deep fried food

6) Processed and prepared foods such as cookies and pastries that contain a high amount of fats including trans-fats.

List of Cholesterol Lowering Foods

1) Food with high fiber contents; vegetables and fruits. Fibers help to eliminate cholesterol before it enters the bloodstream.

2) Lean meats such as white meat chicken and fish. Fish contains omega-3 fatty acids which have cholesterol-lowering benefits

3) Grains such as oatmeal and oat bran

4) Nuts such as walnuts and almonds. But they are high in calories so be mindful of consuming too much as with any food, eating too much can result in weight gain.

5) Omega-3 or fish oil supplements

For more details on the type of cholesterol lowering foods to eat, below is a video which showcases the various types of food recommended.

Considering that recent survey data indicates that the majority of Americans are plagued by obesity issues and high cholesterol levels, it will be prudent for you to monitor your cholesterol levels. If you have not had your cholesterol levels tested in the last couple of years, then you should seriously think of having it done now. Even if your levels are high, you can reduce them by paying close attention to your diet intake, mainly stick with foods that lower cholesterol and you will be in a great shape in the long run.

As mentioned earlier, a cholesterol monitor will help to accomplish the task of monitoring one’s cholesterol levels. If you do not have a cholesterol monitor, you can consider shopping for one online. There are online merchant shops doing advertising for their health products and with the internet, online bargains can be found easily. I am sure you will be able to find a suitable cholesterol monitor at an attractive and affordable price.