As a balanced diet reinforces health, the fight against excess cholesterol mainly involves a change in eating habits. Here are 10 smart ideas to fight the enemy of our arteries.
1- I cook !
No mystery, you have understood that to eat healthy, you have to get your hands dirty. Luckily, cooking is making a comeback: cooking is very trendy today! We are offered cooking lessons with great talented chefs and cookbooks, as beautiful as they are appetizing. As is fashionable, we can hopefully convince husbands, children and teenagers to help us shell the peas. And our grandmothers will be delighted to pass on their secrets!
2- I renew my kitchen utensils
I renew my non-stick pans if they stick and I put on a wok, ideal for preparing crunchy vegetables with poultry or fish in the blink of an eye. And let’s be crazy, I treat myself to a steamer! With it, we always have everything good: it is ideal for the preparation of vegetables, fish and poultry (only healthy and light) with a cooking without fat and which largely preserves the vitamin content of food . All spiced up and embellished with fresh herbs, spices, aromatics, peppers, tomato coulis, onions, shallots … I really enjoy it!
3- I am going to the market
To enjoy and share fish two to three times a week as a family and vegetables and fruit every day, I rely on good products. Going to the market regularly allows you to familiarize yourself with the diversity of species, to change your habits by consuming seasonal foods and to learn a multitude of tips and recipes on the art and the way of preparing and accompanying mackerel. , skate, tuna, wolf etc.
4- I vary my diet
Anti-cholesterol does not mean monotonous. It’s not just salmon and greens in life. There is also couscous, an excellent combination of vegetables, cereals and pulses, sushi and sashimi, the vegetarian complete dishes of the Indian restaurant, veal or fish blanquettes, Bolognese or vegetable lasagna with a fine layer of cheese, the oysters from the brewery next door and the mussels or the steak tartare, … without the fries that goes without saying.
5- I always have reservations
Once or twice a month, I stock up on frozen foods and groceries so that I always have soups and vegetable purees, precut, precooked vegetables, tomato coulis, fruit, fish in fillet , tuna in its natural state, rice, pasta, pulses, cooked or fast cooking … Healthy, tasty that can be prepared in 15 minutes flat. I limit the flamekueches, quiches, puff pastry, breaded products, moussaka, nuggets, chocolate fondants and ice creams, rich in certain saturated fats, fats most frequently of animal origin, the excess of which promotes the increase of bad cholesterol in the blood.
6- I cook with vegetable oils
I cook with olive oil, rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, a family of fatty acids that behaves in a neutral way against cholesterol. For seasonings, I opt for rapeseed oil, or for combinations of oils, rich in omega 3, a family of polyunsaturated essential fatty acids that participate in the proper functioning of the cardiovascular system. Regularly, I use sunflower oil, which is rich in omega 6, another family of polyunsaturated essential fatty acids that help lower blood cholesterol levels.
7- I choose my cholesterol-lowering cheese
There is no question of giving up the pleasure of cheese and its benefits such as its calcium and protein intake! It’s all about a balanced diet! If I have excess cholesterol, I can either monitor my intake of certain foods that may contain certain saturated fatty acids, or go for a lighter version.
8- I discover soybeans
Studies have shown that soy protein, if consumed daily and to some extent, helps lower blood cholesterol levels. The higher the rate, the greater the cholesterol-lowering action of soybeans. Rich in good quality protein, which is an alternative to meat, soybeans also contain polyunsaturated fatty acids. The soy that I can take in the form of a drink (tonyu), yogurt or tofu, then makes a big splash in my kitchen.
A tofu recipe? Extremely simple for 2 people in a gratin dish, I put 200 g of diced tofu, 2 zucchini cut into thin slices, 2 mini eggplants, 1 carrots cut into thin sticks, 1 pepper sliced into thin strips, 1 chopped onion, thyme , 2 tablespoon of olive oil and in the oven for 35 to 40 min. A delight!
9- I say STOP to fried foods
Cooking in an oil bath destroys all efforts to control fat consumption. Food is soaked in oil, which greatly increases the intake of fat and calories. When they are pre-cooked (frozen) or prepared outside the home (fast food, restaurants …), fried foods are often immersed in hydrogenated oils, rich in saturated fatty acids and sometimes in trans fatty acids, two families of acids. fat which, taken in excess, is detrimental to the health of the heart.
10- I move everyday
Physical activity prevents clogging of the arteries by promoting in particular the increase in good cholesterol. Every day, I do my 30 minutes of physical activity and 1 to 3 times a week I practice brisk walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, dancing, tai chi, yoga, etc. These activities help protect cardiovascular health, maintain a healthy weight, improve sleep, and feel less stressed and in a better mood.
