Q: How can diet help me lower my cholesterol level?

A: Whether you have high cholesterol and are trying to lower it or if you have normal cholesterol levels and are trying to maintain it, diet plays a big role in your life. In fact, the main treatment for high cholesterol is diet, exercise and weight loss.

Your goals probably include reducing your LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and increasing your HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol). The major factors of diet influencing your cholesterol level are saturated fat, dietary cholesterol and calories. One set of diet guidelines are provided by the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) "Step" diets.

The Step I Diet is generally recommended for all Americans, and the Step II Diet is more targeted for those who have not reached their goals with the Step I Diet or for those with higher risks of coronary artery disease. The Step II diet is more restrictive on the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol in your diet.

You and your doctor should work together to decide what diet is right for you. Many doctors suggest following diets close to the NCEP guidelines. Diet limitations are expressed as a percentage of calories. Your caloric needs are based on a variety of factors, such as your age, gender, height, activity level, etc.

The following information summarizes the NCEP diet guidelines.

Step I Diet

Percentage of total calories

Cholesterol:

less than 300 mg/dL

Total fat:

less than 30

Monounsaturated fat:

less than 15

Carbohydrates:

at least 55

Step II Diet

Percentage of total

calories

Cholesterol:

less than 200 mg/dL

Total fat:

less than 30 or less

Monounsaturated fat:

less than 15

Carbohydrates:

at least 55

The key to planning and sticking to this diet is to continue to eat a well-balanced diet of a wide variety of foods you enjoy.

Caution : Fat is Always injurious to health,Burn Your Fat here Click Here