| Increasing incidence of heart diseases is a | | | | from buying food at the grocery store to |
| worrisome possibility in modern high-pressure | | | | ensure purchase of a variety of nutrient-rich |
| lifestyles. One of the major risk factors for | | | | foods for meals and snacks throughout the |
| coronary heart disease is high cholesterol (a | | | | week. The healthy eating plan should give due |
| lipid or fat necessary for building cell | | | | importance to fruits, vegetables, whole |
| membranes) levels in the blood. Cholesterol | | | | grains, and fat free or low-fat milk and milk |
| is delivered to the cells by two types of | | | | products; include lean meats, poultry, fish, |
| lipoproteins (combination of the lipid and | | | | beans, eggs and nuts; be low in saturated |
| special proteins made by the liver) i.e. high | | | | fats, trans-fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), |
| density lipoprotein (HDL) the so-called | | | | and added sugars (caloric sweeteners). The |
| "good" cholesterol, and low density | | | | aim of the plan should be to eat foods that |
| lipoprotein (LDL) the so-called "bad" | | | | provide adequate nutrients without exceeding |
| cholesterol Excessive cholesterol in the | | | | the daily calorie needs. |
| blood tends to deposit, as plaque, on the | | | | |
| artery walls leading to their constriction | | | | It is not enough to simply tighten the eating |
| and resultant heart problems. | | | | plan at home and let go while eating out. The |
| | | | effort should be towards a change to a |
| While a number of medicines are now available | | | | healthier lifestyle. At the restaurant, it |
| to control excessive cholesterol levels, the | | | | would be a good idea to examine the menu and |
| preferred initial treatment should be a | | | | to choose steamed, grilled or boiled dishes |
| combination of diet, exercise and weight | | | | and avoid those that are fried or |
| loss. It is very important to make the right | | | | sautéed. If one is predisposed |
| choices of food and physical exercise as they | | | | towards alcoholic beverages, the golden rule |
| affect one's health. Exercise should | | | | is "drink in moderation", since these |
| typically involve at least thirty minutes of | | | | beverages have calories without any |
| daily cardiovascular activity like brisk | | | | significant nutritional value. |
| walking or aerobic exercises. | | | | |
| | | | Changing over to a healthy lifestyle, with a |
| The best way to achieve a low cholesterol | | | | balanced diet and adequate exercise, not only |
| diet (one which helps to control cholesterol | | | | helps to control blood cholesterol, but also |
| levels in the blood) is to work out a healthy | | | | reduces the risk of many chronic ailments |
| eating plan. The plan should ideally start | | | | such as heart disease, diabetes etc. |