Cholesterol moves through your blood on proteins known as lipoproteins. High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) commonly known as the “good” cholesterol is responsible for lowering your risk for stroke and heart disease. Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) commonly known as the “bad” cholesterol makes up the majority of your body’s cholesterol which puts you at risk for stroke and heart disease.
Do you have a high LDL? To significantly reduce LDL cholesterol levels avoid the following three things:-
Trans Fats, which is formed from an industrial process that adds hydrogen to vegetable oil, thus solidifying it at room temparature. This is considered the worst type of dietary fat. This comes from processed foods and naturally from meat and dairy.
Saturated Fats, commonly found in animal products, coconut and palm oil among others.
Switching to a plant based diet helps lower your bad cholesterol. Consider consuming whole grains, fruits and vegetables, unsaturated fats found in avocado, nuts, olive and canola oils, sesame and pumpkin seeds among others.
Most deaths in the US are preventable as they are highly related to what we eat. A plant based diet will not only help you lose weight, it will also enable you to maintain a healthy weight. Remember excessive weight causes inflammation and hormonal imbalance putting you at risk for numerous types of cancers like colorectal, esophageal, uterine, pancreatic, post menopausal breast among others.