High cholesterol challenge

wiedemanator

Hi! I'm struggling with high cholesterol. How do I get enough protein without overdoing fat sources/calories and still maintain a low cholesterol diet? I try to eat egg whites, beans, avacados, nuts/seeds, evoo, but they're all high cal and high fat. Thank you!

Lietchi

From what I gather, limiting saturated fats is the main goal for people with high cholesterol, which means that egg yolks aren't necessarily bad.

Nor are the other sources of fat you mention: they're great for healthy fats, which are also good for people with high cholesterol.
I would definitely keep those in your diet, but obviously not in such quantities that you're consuming too many calories.

Beans are a source of protein, but they're not high fat. Other good sources of protein (which you can check, to see which ones are calorie friendly/low in (saturated) fats):
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10247171/carbs-and-fats-are-cheap-heres-a-guide-to-getting-your-proteins-worth-fiber-also#latest

wilson10102018

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/dietary-cholesterol-does-not-matter#what-it-is

cwolfman13

Dietary cholesterol has little bearing on blood serum levels. Your liver produces cholesterol...when you consume dietary cholesterol your liver produces less...when you consume less dietary cholesterol, your liver produces more.

As fat goes, to lower cholesterol you would want to limit saturated fats and consume more heart healthy mono and poly-unsaturated fats. Staying within the RDA for saturated fat most of the time is fine for most people. As for meat, poultry and fish are low in saturated fats and there are plenty of cuts of lean beef and pork to choose from as well. Also omega 3 fatty acids from fatty fish like salmon and tuna are beneficial here. Up your fiber with things like oats, legumes, lentils, etc.

But in my personal experience, losing unnecessary weight and getting in consistent and regular cardiovascular exercise made the biggest difference in my blood work and for my hypertension.

Zinka61

I use chickpea flour in a whole wheat flour/oat flour bannock I make, and the protein comes out pretty high. Other high protein foods I eat regularly are soy milk, tempeh (I like it chopped into a chopped kale and sweet potato salad, tofu (I love it in soups with leafy greens and green onions), beans in just about anything. Remember that veggies include protein, too--Think broccoli, etc. It all adds up. As long as you aren't under eating calories and not eating a junk food diet, you should be able to get enough protein.

scarlett_k

Eating more fibre and exercising more is what my husband was told when his was a bit high on his last test.