Eat Meat When You Have High Cholesterol? Here's How

High cholesterol is widely known as a sign from your body that you should not eat several types of food, especially meat. But, contrary to popular belief, you can still eat meat even when you have high cholesterol. Here is the explanation about cholesterol, and how you can still eat meat when you have high cholesterol.

What Is Cholesterol?

Everyone has cholesterol in their body, and this compound is quite important. Cholesterols are produced in the liver, when there is damaged tissue, the body will release the cholesterol into the bloodstream to the damaged part of the body, and then fix it.

There are two types of cholesterol, the first one is called LDL or low-density lipoprotein, and the other one is HDL or high-density lipoprotein. The LDL is widely referred to as the bad cholesterol which makes up most of the cholesterol in your body. It's called bad cholesterol because a high level of LDL can increase the risk for heart attack and stroke.

The second one is the HDL, or usually called the good cholesterol. This is because HDL will absorb the cholesterol in the bloodstream, and bring it back to the liver, and the liver will later flush it out of the body. With high levels of HDL, the risk for heart disease and stroke will be reduced.

Cholesterol is only bad for you if the level is too high. High levels of cholesterol can cause constriction or even blockage of blood vessels. When this happens, the body's vital organs like heart, lungs, or brain will not get enough supply of blood, and the result could be deadly.

In the long run, having problems in blood vessels like constriction or blockage can result in blood clot that could fully stop the blood circulation from the heart to the rest of the body. To avoid this, we must try to live healthy and keep active.

High levels of cholesterol are not always caused by an unhealthy lifestyle. Some people could be born with high levels of cholesterol because of the genetic factor. If a parent has a high level of cholesterol, at least one of their children will likely have it too.

The Risk Factors

There is no visible sign of high cholesterol, you can only check your cholesterol level with a blood check. This is why a lot of people don't even realize that they have a cholesterol problem. There are several factors that can increase the level of cholesterol in your body.

The first one is poor diet and eating habit. Eating too much trans fats or saturated fats can result in high cholesterol level. Trans fats can be found in desserts or snacks, and the saturated fats can be found in meat and full-dairy products.

Another factor is lack of physical activity. Exercising will increase the level of HDL, the good cholesterol. If you are not exercising enough, the HDL level will be reduced. Another factor is smoking which can increase the level of LDL, the bad cholesterol, and reduce the HDL level.

Obesity is another risk factor of high cholesterol. Being overweight can increase your cholesterol level, especially if you have a body mass index or BMI of 30 or more. Age can also contribute to cholesterol level, because the older the body, the less capable the liver is to remove LDL cholesterol.

Can You Still Eat Meat?

Meat is a great source of protein, so completely avoiding meat could result in another health problem. The good news is you can still eat meat when you have high cholesterol. All you have to do is don't eat too much, and pick certain kinds of meat.

There are good and lean choices of meat for you to eat when you have high levels of cholesterol. You can choose chicken breast without the skin, sirloin, tenderloin both beef or pork. The important thing is to avoid highly processed meats like bacon or ham.

The next step is to eat in moderation. The safe way to eat meat when you have high cholesterol is 1-3 times per week, with 56-86 per meal. Not only do you need to avoid highly processed meat, you also need to avoid the internal organs like the heart or intestines.

When you cook the meat, don't fry it, instead try to boil or grill it. And when you are eating your meat, please make sure you also have fruit and vegetables to balance it out. Make sure those fruits and vegetables are in the same dish with your meat.

Prevention

A healthy lifestyle can lower the level of your cholesterol, and prevent you from having the problem in the first place. For the people who are born with high cholesterol, a healthy lifestyle can prevent any unwanted incidents.

You can start with a healthy diet, eat food with low or no salt at all. Make sure you include fruits and vegetables in your everyday meal, and grains can also be a good choice. You can still eat anything that contains animal fats, but do it in moderation.

Monitoring your weight is another way to prevent high cholesterol. Try to maintain a healthy weight, and if you are already overweight, try to lose a few kilograms. If you are a smoker, please stop smoking immediately. You can still drink alcohol, but again, in moderation.

Try to exercise every day, for at least 30 minutes each day. Active lifestyle can greatly reduce the level of bad cholesterol. Do not forget to also manage your stress level, try not to do activities with enormous amounts of stress.

So, there you go, an explanation about cholesterol, and how to still eat meat when you have high cholesterol, risk factors, and prevention steps. Remember, high levels of cholesterol does not give you any visible signs or symptoms, so please make sure you also go to your doctor to get yourself checked out on a regular basis.