TOP 9 effective diets for high blood cholesterol

17 March 2022

Therapeutic diet for high blood cholesterol is a key link in the treatment of this disease. Consider how you can avoid excess fat and cholesterol in your diet. We will figure out how to choose the right healthy food for each day and an approximate weekly menu if you are experiencing hyperlipidemia.

20 Basic Diet Rules For High Cholesterol

Elevated cholesterol can be a cause of coronary heart disease, lower extremity venous thrombosis, stroke, myocardial infarction. You can avoid the severe consequences of chronic hyperlipidemia by following the simple rules listed below.

Diet in case of hypercholesterolemia should be partial. Try to eat 5-6 small portions a day. Thus, after a long fast, there is no increase in appetite and no risk of overeating.
Eat vegetables and fruits at any time and in large quantities. Dietary fiber accelerates the elimination of excess cholesterol from the body.
In the case of bad cholesterol, the diet should consist mainly of foods high in vegetable fats. When cooking, try to use olive oil instead of butter.
Try to eat lean meat no more than a couple of times a week. Recipes and menus with poultry, veal, rabbit and lamb are best for high cholesterol.
Proper nutrition with high cholesterol is supported by sports. People with high levels of low-density lipoprotein are recommended to walk at least three kilometers a day.
The diet for hypercholesterolemia should mainly consist of steamed, fried, cooked foods. Baking should be completely avoided.
If you have high cholesterol, avoid foods high in animal fat. No need to eat bacon, pork, bacon, smoked meat. Replace these products with boiled poultry, fish, seafood.
High salt intake is contraindicated in high blood pressure and atherosclerosis. Try to eat no more than 5 grams of salt per day. It is best to abandon this product altogether.
It is necessary to drink at least two liters of water a day, especially in the presence of thick blood and elevated bilirubin. Elevated levels of these parameters usually indicate impairment of liver and gallbladder function resulting in hyperlipidemia. Increased blood viscosity provokes the fixation of blood clots on lipid deposits in the blood vessels. It is necessary to eat sour berries that can thin the blood, such as cherries, gooseberries.
Sweet cakes and high cholesterol are a bad combination. Milk chocolate should also be avoided. Oatmeal-free oatmeal cookies, dried fruits, nuts and honey are suitable as an alternative dessert. Sometimes you can indulge in oriental Turkish delights.
Women and men have different daily caloric needs, averaging 2, 200 kcal and 2, 600 kcal, respectively. Higher calorie intake is also necessary for people who work hard. These factors are important in shaping the diet.
Be sure to refrain from alcohol abuse. Red wine is allowed, but no more than two glasses a week.
Coffee is a controversial ally in the fight against high cholesterol. It contains kafestol, which increases the production of endogenous cholesterol in the liver. However, some experts, by contrast, recommend drinking 1-2 cups of coffee a day as it helps strengthen the cardiovascular system. So you can drink coffee, but don’t abuse it. An alternative is a chicory drink or green tea.
Cook the porridge daily. Try not to boil the flakes, leaving them crumbs. If you have a lot of cholesterol, don’t taste a lot of butter in the finished meal. For example, honey and dried fruits are suitable flavors for oatmeal.
Hyperlipidemia prevents the consumption of fatty dairy products. Replace them with low-fat yogurt and kefir. Use low-fat yogurt and kefir as a substitute.
Products that contain harmful trans fats, such as fast food, are strictly prohibited. Avoid chips and other snacks.
When frying poultry, remove the skin from the surface. Because it makes the dish fatter and contains harmful components.
Semi-finished products and hypercholesterolemia are mutually exclusive concepts. Such products do not contain useful vitamins and minerals. Such foods do not provide enough energy and only clog the body with ballast calories and fat.
Try not to overeat at night. Eat dinner no later than two hours before bedtime. To quench your appetite before going to bed it is better to drink a glass of kefir or eat a couple of dates, a handful of almonds.
Your doctor will tell you how to eat best. After weighing all the risks and comorbidities, an experienced professional will help you develop the most effective diet plan. Self-treatment of high cholesterol is not recommended.

High cholesterol is a reversible process if you follow the recommendations above and have regular medical check-ups.

Cholesterol-lowering diets are popular with women and men

A cholesterol-lowering diet can be based on a combination of different foods. To significantly lower your blood cholesterol, it is important to follow the recommended diet for a long time, at least six months.

A comparable description of the most popular of these will help you understand the different types of high cholesterol diets.

Mediterranean diet

A cholesterol-lowering Mediterranean diet is recommended for people with atherosclerosis, hypertension and overweight. The basis of such a diet is the abundance of cheese, meat, fish and spices. Nevertheless, these products are perfectly combined and have a positive effect on high cholesterol. List of foods in the diet:

Spices and herbs.
Soft cheeses such as feta.
Olive oil.
Fish, mussels, shrimp.
Bird, lamb.
Red wine in moderation.
Unleavened bread made from wheat flour (pita).
Vegetables and fruits.
Greek yogurt.
Cereals.

Fatty meats, fats, sausages, sugary drinks with gas are categorically excluded from the diet. Because these products can cause high blood cholesterol. For example, the following high cholesterol menu, calculated for the week:

Day 1

For breakfast: three pieces of lentil cutlets seasoned with yogurt.
For lunch, refresh with creamy Brussels sprouts soup with shrimp; fruit plate and salad with olives and tofu.
For dinner, you can eat pita stuffed with feta cubes and a salad (cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, a couple of olives).

Day 2

A good start to the day - curd-buckwheat zrazy.
Lunch appetizer - light soup with lentils, risotto with vegetables.
Grilled salmon seasoned with olive oil with Provencal herbs will give you a good mood in the evening.

Day 3

Morning meal - buckwheat cooked in vegetable broth.
In the afternoon, tuna fried with vegetables will recover; tomato puree soup.
For dinner: salad with chicken breast and avocado, seasoned with olive oil, pita.

Day 4

Breakfast: yogurt with chopped hazelnuts and almonds, you can add a little honey.
Light lunch: soup with fish balls, fried potatoes with tomatoes.
Dinner: vegetable salad with one egg, lemon juice and olive oil.

Day 5

Breakfast: oatmeal on the water, adding honey and raisins.
Energy for lunch - spinach leaf and asparagus soup-puree with liquid cream; lightly cooked salmon with wild rice.
Dinner: Bake a cake with small cherry tomatoes and feta on a wholemeal crust, optionally crush the tofu cubes.

Day 6

Breakfast: dried fruit souffle, green tea.
For lunch - cabbage soup, chicken stew with vegetables, one pita.
For dinner - zucchini with feta in the oven, pita with avocado and olive oil.

Day 7

For breakfast: Pour the roasted pumpkin with yogurt and honey.
Lunch: creamy mushroom and squirrel soup; chicken, grated garlic, with sweet pepper in the oven.
Dinner: wild rice stew with mussels and shrimp.

You can use dates, prunes, raisins and almonds for the main meals. Such a diet will not only help to deal with high cholesterol, but will also reduce body weight.

Diet table number 10

The cooking method is mainly cooking and baking. Because high cholesterol prevents the consumption of fried foods. It is recommended to eat at least five times a day in small portions. Evening snack no later than two hours before bedtime. Products that can be used:

Freshly squeezed vegetable juice, jelly.
Whole wheat bread.
Fresh vegetable salad.
Eggs without yolk.
Fish: tuna, salmon, carp.
Curd-free curd, kefir and yogurt.
Kashi.

It is necessary to abandon the following products: butter, fatty meats, and especially red, salted and smoked fish delicacies, fatty cheeses, pickled vegetables, mustard. A sample weekly menu if you have high cholesterol might look like this:

Early breakfast: 1% boiled buckwheat in milk, soft-boiled egg, weak green tea with milk.
Snack before dinner: a piece of boiled chicken or a fresh apple.
Lunch: vegetable broth with barley groats, mushrooms and finely chopped zucchini, fried salmon or carp with stewed vegetables (such as peppers, onions, zucchini), 1 glass of fresh apple juice.
Appetizer: Rosehip tea, nuts, and dried fruits (such as prunes and almonds).
Dinner: low-fat cottage cheese, boiled grated beets with apple, 1 glass of low-fat milk.
Night: 1 glass of low-fat kefir.

During the week, you can combine a variety of dishes from vegetables, white poultry and fish. Use nuts, fruits such as a banana or an apple for snacks. Nutrition table no. 10 is recommended not only for the prevention of vascular atherosclerosis but also for the prevention of hypothyroidism. With regular nutrition for at least four months, high cholesterol can be significantly reduced.

Diet Table Number 10A

This diet has several limitations:

Bread - not more than 145 g per day.
Vegetable broths - up to 180 ml.
The use of cheeses, pearl barley and millet is prohibited.
Do not eat extremely hot or cold food.

Table 10, which has a positive effect on high cholesterol, looks like this every day:

Breakfast: chopped oatmeal with 1% milk, green tea, small apple.
Snack: fried apples with curd.
Lunch: steamed chicken cutlets, mashed potatoes without oil, half a glass of fresh apple juice.
Afternoon snack: prunes or dates.
Dinner: oven-baked carrot-apple cutlets, half a glass of low-fat kefir.
Before bed: half a glass of rosehip tincture or chicory drink.

After 50 years, more than 35% of people have high cholesterol. This increases the risk of atherosclerotic disease progression and myocardial infarction and stroke. Therefore, at this age, it is especially important to follow a proper diet along with a little exercise.

Diet table №10C

Table 10C - Cholesterol lowering diet. This diet is recommended for people diagnosed with ischemic heart disease and high blood pressure provoked by atherosclerosis. This menu is dominated by vegetable fats, dietary fiber, foods rich in vitamins B, PP, C. The daily caloric content of the menu is about 2570 kcal. It should be taken in six divided doses a day.

Recommended foods that have a positive effect on high cholesterol include:

Bran.
Seaweed.
Vegetables and fruits can be eaten in large portions.
Fry or cook the eggs a little, no more than three pieces a week.
Porridge of buckwheat, oatmeal and barley.
Honey, a couple of tablespoons a day.
Hard spaghetti, try not to overcook.

Prohibited foods include food-like menu number 10. The approximate daily diet is as follows:

Breakfast: boiled buckwheat without oil, light curd mass with seasonal fruits, tea.
Snack: baked apple or dried apricots.
Lunch: stewed carrots, steamed beetroot cutlets, rice soup with vegetables lightly fried in olive oil, seasonal fruit compote.
Afternoon snack: An unsweetened berry cocktail or honey with a handful of hazelnuts.
Dinner: Seasonal vegetable salad with olive oil and seaweed, salmon (another fatty fish), fried with a slice of lemon and thyme, boiled potatoes, weak green tea.
Before bed: a glass of 1% kefir.

A healthy lifestyle is not limited to diet. Because high cholesterol requires complex treatment. Don’t forget about physical exercise as well as long walks in the fresh air.

low carb diet

Foods that are not included in the low carb menu are:

Sweet cakes, white bread.
Sugar and fructose, honey.
Alcohol and sweet drinks with gas.
Pasta and potatoes.
Milk chocolate.
Sweet fruits like grapes.

The daily diet should contain large amounts of animal protein, such as fish, dairy products, lean meat. This is what a weekly low-carb menu might look like:

Monday

Egg white omelette with chopped champignons and tomato;
Creamy chicken and Brussels sprouts soup. Two whole grain breads;
Pear;
Stewed veal with paprika.

Tuesday

Thin pancakes on kefir with curd and raisins.
Salmon ears. Two slices of grain bread.
Green apple.
Stewed chicken fillet with spinach.

on wednesday

Cheesecakes with low - fat sour cream.
Buckwheat on water and fried chicken cutlet.
Orange.
Cold chicken.

Thursday

Whipped curd.
Cheese soup with chicken breast. Two whole grain toasts.
Half a grapefruit.
Unpolished rice. Steamed zucchini and carrot cutlets, fresh cucumber.

Friday

One soft-boiled egg sprinkled with grated cheese.
Stewed fish in a light creamy sauce.
Kiwi or one orange.
Boiled beans, crushed. Chicken rolls. One tomato.
Before going to bed - a glass of kefir.

saturday

Curd and natural yogurt.
Steamed lamb dumplings and one cucumber.
Mandarin or apple.
Seafood. Arugula salad with olive oil.

Sunday

Steam omelette with chicken breast.
Roast turkey fillet with broccoli.
A glass of 1% kefir.
Rabbit stewed with vegetables (onion, zucchini, sweet pepper).

Following this diet, it is recommended to drink up to two liters of fluid per day. Breast-feeding and pregnancy may be contraindicated in women on a low-carbohydrate diet. Timely correction of high cholesterol can be a successful treatment for dietary correction. The diet you decide on can only be decided by your doctor after a thorough analysis of your history.

paleo diet

The Paleo diet includes foods that our Stone Age ancestors ate before developing agriculture. High levels of animal protein are the basis of prehistoric nutrition. At the same time, carbohydrates and fats are consumed much less in the diet. The main product is meat that contains animal protein. It is this that speeds up metabolic processes and helps prevent the accumulation of excess fat.

The Paleo diet is suitable for lowering blood cholesterol by reducing the intake of animal fats. It is recommended to eat every five hours, about three times a day. The main products allowed are:

Meat and poultry without fat.
Seafood, fish.
Oils: olives, linseed, sesame.
Mushrooms, nuts and seeds, not cooked.
Fresh berries, vegetables and fruits.

Sugar and salt, legumes and groats, dairy products, vegetables with starch (potatoes, sweet potatoes) are not included in the diet. It is recommended to eat foods mostly raw or after minimal heat treatment. Such a diet will help protect blood vessels from cholesterol and plaque formation. Elevated low-density lipoprotein levels can be normalized if the principles of the paleo diet are followed.

Keto diet

The keto diet is based on minimal carbohydrate intake. In this regard, the body trains to produce more energy from fat and protein. This high-cholesterol diet helps reduce low-density lipoprotein. At the same time, the amount of "good" cholesterol increases.

Avoid bread, sugar, pasta, fruits and sweets when following a ketogenic diet. In the absence of carbohydrates, the body begins to break down fat stores intensively.

This diet is similar to a low carb diet. When choosing the optimal menu, you should follow these rules:

Breakfast: Try to consume up to 15 g of carbohydrates in the morning. The source can be cheese or vegetables. It is recommended to eat an omelette in olive oil with tomatoes, adding toast with bran. Calorie content - 500-600 kcal.
Carbohydrates need to be limited during lunch. Nutritionists recommend eating soup with chicken dumplings (without potatoes, pasta). Note that high cholesterol indicates eating vegetable broth. For the second, you can eat brown rice with a breast and a piece of cheese.
Dinner should have a higher percentage of protein and fiber. Suitable for poultry or lamb, veal and raw vegetables. It is better to fry the meat, and to make a salad from vegetables with a spoonful of olive oil.

Following a ketogenic diet, the body operates in an "emergency" state, which is in a state of ketosis due to the production of ketone bodies (fatty acid derivatives). Therefore, medical care is required during such a diet.

Some say the diet will do little to lower cholesterol and recommend the use of statins. A very controversial statement. Many doctors and experts disagree on this in principle.

Ornish vegetarian diet

The diet was first developed by Bill Clinton’s personal physician Dean Ornish. And this is based on strict control of fat intake. A maximum of 20 grams of fat per day is allowed. This diet is indicated if a person is diagnosed with hyperlipidemia, atherosclerosis and obesity. Basically the menu is vegetarian. This food describes an increased percentage of carbohydrates in the foods consumed.

Ornish diet must be combined with physical exercise, physical activity. The daily balance of fat, protein and carbohydrates is 10, 25, 75% respectively. Recommended products to use:

Vegetables, usually green.
Lentils, beans, peas.
Apples and pears.
Buckwheat porridge made from corn, wheat and rice.

Eat moderately eggs, dairy products, cheese, biscuits. It is strictly necessary to exclude red meat, puff pastry and confectionery, butter, mayonnaise, olives, nuts, seeds.

An example of a weekly menu can be composed as follows.

The first day

Breakfast: chicory drink, one tablespoon of wheat bran is added to low-fat yogurt.
Lunch: a few large potatoes fried with tomatoes, a salad of cucumbers, greens and iceberg lettuce, a green apple.
Appetizer: apricots or plums (3 pcs. ), Other seasonal fruits, low-fat cottage cheese.
Dinner: two wholemeal toast, an apple or a pear, sprinkled with durum wheat low-fat cheese, berry compote.

Second day

Breakfast: freshly squeezed orange juice, rice porridge with skim milk, a glass of kefir.
Lunch: beans with mushrooms and onions, salad with tomatoes, carrots and cucumbers, seasoned with olive oil.
Afternoon snack: strawberries, wheat bread.
Dinner: two slices of bran bread, half an avocado, stewed buckwheat porridge with mushrooms and carrots, green tea.

Third day

Breakfast: decaffeinated coffee, a cup of muesli with berries and low-fat milk.
Lunch: soup with pumpkin slices and spinach, couscous with vegetables, vinaigrette without pickles.
Afternoon snack: a glass of kefir, low-fat cookies.
Dinner: fried eggplant halves with onions and carrots, a bowl of seasonal berries, mint tea.

Fourth day

Breakfast: pomegranate juice, pumpkin-zucchini pancakes.
Lunch: broccoli and cauliflower soup, rice stewed asparagus and chicken fillet.
Appetizer: low-fat cottage cheese with yogurt, oatmeal cookies.
Dinner: stewed white cabbage with carrots and onions, any fruit of your choice, currant compote.

Fifth day

Breakfast: apple juice, porridge from cereal mixture.
Lunch: two fish cutlets, mashed potatoes without milk and with a small piece of butter.
Afternoon snack: a cup of low-fat kefir, a green apple.
Dinner: asparagus and green pea soup, weak tea.

Sixth day

Breakfast: chicory drink, low-fat cottage cheese with honey.
Lunch: boiled turkey breast with zucchini and pumpkin puree, orange juice.
Afternoon snack: oatmeal pudding, multi-grain bread.
Dinner: two cabbage rolls stuffed with rice and vegetables, mineral water.

The seventh day

Breakfast: a piece of cottage cheese with raisins and chicory.
Lunch: 2 lentils and carrot cutlets, rice.
Snack: 3 baked cheesecakes, orange juice.
Dinner: apples stuffed with curd and dried apricots, chamomile tea.

High cholesterol, strictly following the canons of this diet, can return to normal. Regularity and self-monitoring are essential to achieve the result.

Intermittent fasting

Fasting is used to lower blood cholesterol. Treating high cholesterol with a diet full of starvation elements can be done as follows: When there is a shortage of food, the body begins to use low-density lipoprotein stores to get energy for life. As early as 12 hours of fasting, cholesterol, as an alternative energy source, begins to be released into the bloodstream and broken down to form energy.

Approximate weekly cholesterol fasting scheme:

On the first day, only freshly squeezed apple-carrot juice diluted 1: 2 with water. On the second day, you can drink the juice without diluting it with water. For lunch you can eat 50 g of grated carrots. In the third - drink grape-apple and carrot juice. Eat with a hundred grams of vegetable puree, and before going to bed - kefir.

Add grated vegetables and fruits for the fourth and fifth days, and light cottage cheese for the night. On the sixth and seventh day, breakfast should consist of mashed vegetables and fruits, and for dinner and lunch eat boiled buckwheat or millet flakes. Such a strict diet can be followed only after consulting and under the supervision of a doctor. To control high cholesterol, it is necessary to repeat the course of therapeutic fasting periodically.

Choosing the optimal diet for high cholesterol is not easy - it is necessary to study in detail all the features of a particular human body. It is very important to take into account comorbidities, gender, age. Only a properly prepared menu is effective in preventing the severe consequences of hypercholesterolemia.