Diet for high cholesterol: A menu for a week with recipes, Reviews of nutritionists
We have compiled a weekly menu for those who suffer from high cholesterol in the blood. With the General Practitioner, Nutritionist Nadezhda Ivanova, we discussed what you can and cannot eat with high cholesterol, what results can be achieved during the diet, and for whom it is suitable
what is Cholesterol
Cholesterol is an organic substance that the body produces independently and comes with food. Cholesterol is involved in the formation of enzymes and hormones. However, elevated blood levels can cause serious damage to health.
Atherosclerosis and its possible consequences in the form of a heart attack and stroke are caused by an imbalance of high-density lipoproteins (HDL) and low-density lipoproteins (LDL).
The term healthy cholesterol (HDL) is frequently used
It is produced by the body during moderate physical exertion and helps to reduce the accumulation of "bad" cholesterol (LDL) that enters the body exclusively with food.
To bring cholesterol levels back to normal, a special therapeutic diet has been developed. The advantages are that it can be used not only as a tool for addressing an existing problem but also for preventive purposes. At the same time, you get a full-fledged varied daily diet.
What can be on a Diet for high cholesterol
Since the main goal of the diet is to normalize fat metabolism and reduce weight, the main principle of nutrition is to reduce the diet to foods containing animal fats and simple carbohydrates 2.
Preference should be given to polyunsaturated fats, fiber, proteins, and complex carbohydrates.
All this can be obtained from a large list of allowed products:
- Meat (veal, chicken, turkey, rabbit).
- Fish and eggs.
- Vegetables (eggplant, zucchini, cabbage of all kinds, beets, pumpkins, celery, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, onions, leafy greens).
- Legumes of all kinds, including soybeans.
- Fruits and berries (avocados, pomegranates, citrus fruits, pears, apples).
- Cereals (buckwheat, millet, quinoa).
- Fermented milk products (hard cheese no more than 30 grams, low-fat cottage cheese, tofu).
- Nuts and seeds (flax seeds, fenugreek seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds).
- Vegetable oil.
What not to do when following Diet for high cholesterol
In modern medical practice, it is increasingly possible to meet specialists who have a negative attitude to strict prohibitions on food. Many seek to create an individual, complete and varied diet.
However, there is a list of prohibited foods, which includes:
- Meat (pork, goose, duck, offal).
- Fatty fish and canned fish.
- Cereals and pasta (semolina, white rice).
- Concentrated meat broth
- Rich, puff baking.
- Confectionery industry (industrial cakes, sweets, jam).
- Fermented milk products (fatty types of cheese, cottage cheese, cream, sour cream, fatty ice cream, butter) ؛
- butter and refined vegetable oils.
- Fruits and dried fruits (bananas, raisins).
- Honey؛
- Sweet carbonated drinks and lemonades.
- Industrial mayonnaise, ketchup, and palm oil products.
- Beef, redfish, potatoes, nuts, and egg yolks are allowed, but in limited quantities.
A menu for a week for a Diet for high cholesterol with recipes
Day 1
- Breakfast: protein omelet, fresh vegetable salad, green tea with lemon ؛
- Lunch: lentil soup with pumpkin, buckwheat bread with cottage cheese, herbs, and fresh cucumber.
- Dinner: steamed fish cakes and a mixture of vegetables with olive oil.
Lentil and pumpkin soup recipe:
- Lentils - 300 g ؛
- Pumpkin - 200 g ؛
- Carrots - 2 pieces ؛
- Onion - 1 piece.
- Garlic - 2 cloves ؛
- Salt and spices to taste.
- Chopped greens - for serving ؛
- Lemon - for serving.
- Olive oil for serving.
Ready:
- Clean and chop the vegetables, and prepare the broth.
- Add the washed lentils to the vegetable broth and bring to a boil.
- Add salt and spices to taste.
- When the lentils and vegetables are completely cooked, remove the saucepan from the heat and mash the soup with an immersion blender.
- Serve the soup with pieces of lemon and olive oil.
The second day
- Breakfast: oatmeal on the water with berries, toast with avocado and cheese.
- Lunch: chicken broth, boiled chicken breast, sauerkraut with linseed oil, and herbs.
- Dinner: Zander fillet baked in foil, salad with broccoli, green beans, and fresh cucumber with sesame oil dressing.
Day 3
- Breakfast: chickpea omelet with mushrooms and fresh tomatoes, chicory with vegetable milk ؛
- Lunch: baked turkey fillet, vegetable broth, and bread.
- Dinner: zucchini pancakes with sesame tahini and pomegranate seeds, salad with leafy vegetables, beans, and sweet peppers with olive oil.
Chickpea omelet recipe:
- Chickpea flour - 100 g ؛
- Water or vegetable milk - 150 ml ؛
- Onion-half
- Fresh tomatoes - 1 PC.
- Fresh mushrooms - 100 g ؛
- Salt, spices - to taste.
Ready:
- Fry the onion a little until golden.
- Combine chopped tomatoes and mushrooms with onions and simmer for 5-7 minutes over medium heat.
- Combine chickpea flour, water, and spices. Whisk with a whisk until smooth.
- Pour the chickpea mixture over the vegetables and simmer over low heat with the lid closed for 10 minutes. In a preheated oven, they may be cooked.
Fourth day
- Breakfast: homemade granola with low-fat natural yogurt, toasted cheese, green tea ؛
- Lunch: borscht soup with light meat broth, cabbage, and carrot salad.
- Dinner: steamed chicken cutlets with baked potatoes, carrots, and green beans.
Day 5
- Breakfast: carrot and apple pancakes, almond yogurt, herbal tea.
- Lunch: Pollock stewed with vegetables, tomato juice, fresh herbs, and bread.
- Dinner: salad with sea fruits, fresh vegetables, and a glass of vegetable juice.
The recipe for carrot and apple pies:
- Carrots - 2 pieces ؛
- Apples - 1 PC ؛
- Egg - 1 piece ؛
- Buckwheat flour-2 tablespoons.
- Vanilla and cinnamon-to taste.
- Peel and grate the carrots on a fine grater, and also grate the apples on a fine grater.
- Add an egg.
- Add flour and spices to taste. Knead the dough.
- Bake pancakes without oil over medium heat under the lid on both sides.
The sixth day
- Breakfast: flaxseed porridge with berries, coffee with milk, boiled egg.
- Lunch: vegetable soup with beans, Pike cutlets, and fresh cucumber.
- Dinner: diet turkey sausage, boiled Brussels sprouts, fresh tomatoes.
The seventh day
Breakfast: baked apples with tofu and cocoa with vegetable milk; lunch: fish soup, salad with radish, fresh cabbage, and cucumbers. Dinner: baked chicken breast with cauliflower, carrots, broccoli, iced raspberry tea with mint.
The recipe for baked apples with tofu:
- Apples - 5 pieces
- Tofu - 100 g ؛
- Kuraga - 4/5 pieces ؛
- Lemon juice - 1 tablespoon ؛
- Vanillin - optional.
Ready:
- The apples should be washed before the top and core are taken off.
- Soak dried apricots in hot water for 15 minutes.
- Mash the tofu with a fork, and add lemon juice and vanilla to it.
- Chop the dried apricots and add them to the tofu.
- Fill the apples with the filling and bake in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for 25 minutes.
Results of the diet
By adhering to the rules of nutrition, prescribed jointly with the Attending Physician (gastroenterologist, nutritionist), you can achieve good results.
After a month, you can notice the following changes in your body:
- Weight loss؛
- Normalizes blood cholesterol levels.
- Normalization of blood pressure
- Getting rid of heartburn.
- Getting rid of constipation
By following simple dietary principles, you can reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and improve your overall quality of life.
The rules of nutrition for high cholesterol are simple and understandable, as are the products from which you can make a varied weekly menu without feeling deprived of anything.
Reviews of nutritionists
Cholesterol is necessary for all cells of the body, but it is important not to allow it to be excessive. By correcting nutrition, we can significantly improve the prognosis for patients with cardiovascular diseases and reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Cholesterol itself is not an enemy and does not lead to atherosclerosis, so there must be two more factors: inflammation and damage to the vascular endothelium.
With the help of such nutrition, you can easily lose weight and reduce chronic inflammation in the body,