Dietitian Natasha Mohan

How to lower cholesterol with diet
Dt. Natasha Mohan

Dt. Natasha Mohan

Dietitian Natasha Mohan is one of the most influential and renowned nutritionist and dietitian, with over 3 Million Followers on YouTube and 200+ Million Views and with 10+ Years of Experience. Dietitian Natasha Mohan is a transformation expert, Motivational Speaker and Lifestyle Expert. She has touched million of lives. She specializes in Therapeutic Diets Like, PCOS/PCOD, Thyroid, Diabetes, Cholesterol, Blood pressure, and other lifestyle disorder.

Table of Contents

How to lower cholesterol with diet

Understanding cholesterol

Cholesterol is a waxy like substance made by liver and found in some foods this help in hormones and cells build up but excess can be harmful. there is two type of cholesterol LDL (bad cholesterol) which can block arteries know as bad cholesterol.

How to lower cholesterol naturally by diet
Diet plays a major role in controlling cholesterol because food is directly contacted to production of LDL bad(bad) and HDL (good) cholesterol levels. Eating planned diet which often obtain fiber, healthy fats, fruits and vegetables that help to reduce bad cholesterol.

Food to include to lower cholesterol

  1. Oats And Whole Grains
    These two contains rich in soluble fiber beta glucan which help to absorb bad cholesterol from the bloodstream. Eating whole wheat roti on regular basis support good heart health and improve digestion.
  2. Fruits
    In cholesterol lower diet fruits like berries, apple, oranges and papaya are also packed in soluble fiber that help to lower LDL to protect heart cells from damaging vitamin C rich fruits and improve blood circulation and reduce inflammation.
  3. Legumes
    Legumes are known for food to reduce cholesterol which have good amount of protein and soluble fiber that can easily absorb and control blood sugar by moderating the insulin level in blood stream you can replace red meal with dals or beans to reduce saturated fat intake.
  4. Nuts And Seeds
    Flaxseeds, walnuts and almonds often contain healthy fats like omega 3s and plant sterols that raise the HDL cholesterol and reduce the LDL production. a small portion of nuts and seeds give better shield to arteries and heart function.
  5. Garlic
    Include garlic in your healthy diet for better functioning of heart. This also considered tamasic food in sattvic diet chart, but we can eat this for its medical benefits because it contains allicin a natural compound that reduce bad cholesterol and blood pressure by regular intake of raw garlic improve good blood flow.

Food to avoid reducing cholesterol

  • Fried And Fast Foods
    Burger and fries are high in trans fats which raise bad cholesterol drastically and slowly clog arteries in your heart and regular intake can increase the heart disease risk and weight gain.
  • Processed Meats
    Sausages and salami contain high amount of unhealthy fats, salt and preservatives that elevate cholesterol level and blood pressure which also lack in fiber making them hard to digest.
  • Full Fat Dairy Products
    Using less butter and ghee while cooking can also help in to maintain a healthy heart and better cholesterol control. But consuming too much milk, cheese and butter are rich in saturated fats which can increase the LDL cholesterol.
  • Red Meats
    High saturated fat containing meats like beef, lamb and pork increase the heart disease risk if you eat, choose lean cuts occasionally and balance with other nutrients rich food like vegetables and legumes.
  • Sugary Drinks And Beverages
    I don’t know how people consume such energy drinks and sweetened packaged soft drink and beverages on name of refreshment but on serious note this is a complete bias thought that these are refreshment despite you can add sugar in water and drink it.
  • Baked Goods And Sweets
    Baked item with packed of sugar and harmful cholesterol raise triglycerides that will promote fat buildup in arteries that block blood circulation in body despite of sugar craving you can use fruit-based desserts or dark chocolate instead to satisfy sweet craving for more healthily.

Sample diet plan to control cholesterol

  • Early morning
    Drink overnight soaked fenugreek seeds in water
    This will kickstart your metabolism to wake up and support digestion because fenugreek seeds help to lower bad cholesterol and blood sugar level naturally.
  • Breakfast
    Oats porridge with added apple or papaya slices
    Oats are rich in fiber and best to start morning with light breakfast which contains also soluble fiber like beta glucan to absorbs LDL cholesterol overall bad cholesterol while fruits for heart protection.
  • Mid-Morning Snack
    Mix of dry fruits like almonds, walnuts and seeds with green tea
    Mix of nuts helps to maintain all nutrients in our body while whole grains improve digestion and repair muscle, vegetables and fiber aids to boost gut health all are the key responsibility for cholesterol control.
  • Lunch
    whole wheat roti, mix veg sabzi, moong dal, salad with curd
    A complete balance lunch will give you all essential nutrients to stabilize your energy for day without becoming hindrance on your cholesterol.
  • Evening Snack
    roasted Channa or makhana it’s your choice what you want to eat.
    Help to prevent overeating in night and unnecessary snacking.
  • Dinner
    Grilled paneer with roti and raita
    Best to end up your day with by complex carbs and lean protein and veggies supply antioxidants that lower cholesterol and support heart function.

Additional tips to control cholesterol

  1. Exercise Daily – At least aim to exercise daily for 30 to 40 min alone diet can’t do anything with your cholesterol, so focus on both diet + exercise and trust me this is the best diet tips for high cholesterol.
  2. Limit Oily And Fried Foods – Fried food that contain lots of oil which is really risky for our heart health and bad cholesterol.
  3. Avoid Smoking And Alcohol – These are most dangerous to our respiratory system and over all body so it’s better to avoid them.
  4. Manage Stress – In this loop of hectic schedule people take frequent stress which trigger many health problems one of them is cholesterol so, try some meditation to avoid stress while following low cholesterol meal plan.
  5. Maintain Healthy Weight – You should maintain your weight by regular diet and exercise because this often create problem in cholesterol.

Conclusion

Maintaining healthy cholesterol levels is important not for heart but for overall well-being. Because people are becoming less aware about what they eat due to hectic schedule and busyness for this we require a balanced diet, regular exercise to control over stress if your cholesterol levels remain high despite of healthy eating then it is better to take consult a dietitian or online diet consultation because every individuals has different body type and the way they react to environment.

Sometime yes sometime no, it depends on your body how your body react with the diet plan, so it is better to first consult with your doctor or dietitian.

Yes, egg is entirely bad for hight cholesterol individuals. It is better to keep distance from egg while cholesterol problem.

It is good avoid red meat like beef and pork which often contain high cholesterol and saturated fats that raise bad cholesterol in your body.

Yes, eating nuts and seeds are excellent choice while lowering cholesterol because it contains plant sterols, fiber and healthy fats that reduce LDL and raise HDL naturally.

See, its completely depend how your body react but estimate you can see result with in 2 to 3 weeks but remember following internet diet plan will not solve the problem, so it better take consultation from dietitian.

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