Five Mistakes With The Diet People With High Cholesterol Make

Most people who have high cholesterol know how important it is to eat right. Still, because you do not know or bad information,  you can make mistakes with your diet  that can ruin your efforts.

This can be very frustrating, since you know that you may not be able to bring your cholesterol down to a normal level no matter what you eat or what medication you are taking. The most worrying thing about all of this is that you may even make the problem worse. And the complications can be very serious.

This is why you need to find out what you are doing wrong and why they are so harmful, even if they seem harmless. Below you can find out about five common mistakes in the diet of people with high cholesterol. That way, you can start to take control of this problem in an intelligent way.

Mistakes in diet and high cholesterol

Anyone who has been diagnosed with high cholesterol or hypercholesterolemia should follow the nutritional advice given to them by their doctor. Although it means drastic changes in your daily diet,  it is absolutely essential if you want to prevent more serious problems.

Still, eating well does not just mean eating more fruits and vegetables. While you may not be aware of it, there are many other significant changes you should make. They also vary from person to person, since each body is different.

Do you think you can go wrong with your diet? Having trouble lowering your cholesterol? If so, keep reading to find out what changes you should make.

1. You are not aware of sugar

Eating sugar does not have a direct effect on the cholesterol level in your body. Still, foods high in sugar are often rich in harmful fats, such as trans fats and saturated fats.

Eating this type of food on a regular basis can make you gain weight. Being overweight or obese is very closely linked to high cholesterol. The high glycemic index (GI) in these foods increases your blood sugar, which  damages the artery walls over time.

2. You are only aware of cholesterol in food

Some people with high cholesterol believe that eating better means cutting out all foods that have a high cholesterol content. Well, there is clearly one thing you need to do, but  it is a mistake to think that it is enough.

Cholesterol is a type of fat that comes from eating certain foods,  but your liver also produces it. Therefore, eating less of it will not hold. You must also avoid sources of trans fats and saturated fats because it overloads your liver.

3. You cut out all fat from your diet

This is probably one of the most common mistakes people with high cholesterol make. It is not a good idea to completely eliminate all foods that contain fat from your diet. Instead, choose healthy fats.

Foods contain a mixture of different types of fats:  saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated (omega 3 and 6). Out of these, you should eat as little saturated fat as possible and increase the amount of good fat. Saturated fats increase your risk of heart disease, while unsaturated fats help increase good cholesterol (HDL). Over time, this will help protect your arteries. Examples of good fat sources are avocados, olive oil and nuts.

4. You go from one “miracle diet” to another

Diets with quick fixes sound like a shortcut to healthy cholesterol levels. The problem is that they are restrictive and limit you to only a certain category of nutrients.

This is exactly why many of those who want to see quick results end up  falling off the load a few weeks later. Even though they have lost weight and lost a few sizes, they return to their normal eating habits and ruin all the effort they have put in.

Still, a good diet to lower your cholesterol should be a permanent thing. If it only works for a few days, you will be back to your high levels and higher weight in no time.

5. You take statins with grapefruit juice

Doctors often prescribe statins to reduce their patients’ high cholesterol. Still, eating grapefruit at the same time is a mistake. It can prevent the medicine from being absorbed properly. Yes, it is a healthy low calorie diet, but it is not a good idea to eat it if you are on statins.

Conclusion

It is very important that you correct mistakes in your diet so that your treatment plan will work. You should also get a regular check-up with your doctor because the problem does not always have visible symptoms,  even though there is a lot of damage inside.