A diet of excess has many health ramifications. Too much protein can cause kidney injury and increase risks of kidney stones and osteoporosis, according to Mayoclinic.com. If you already have kidney or liver disease, the need to reduce protein intake is even more crucial. What about a high-fat, high-cholesterol diet? The American Heart Association has a clear warning---such diets can raise your cholesterol level and increase your risks of heart disease and stroke. The healthy option? Adopt a low-protein, low-fat and low-cholesterol diet. It's easier than you think.
Low-Protein Diet
A low-protein diet focuses on reducing protein intake. The American Heart Association recommends eating no more than 6 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry, fish and seafood a day. Red meats and processed meats come with saturated fats which can increase your risk of colon cancer. It also raises cholesterol levels, so make it an occasional treat.
Reducing protein in your diet is important. Choosing healthy protein without much saturated fat is key to a healthier diet. Vegetable sources of protein such as beans, soy, nuts and whole grains are good substitutes because they contain cholesterol-lowering fiber, vitamins and minerals. If you cannot do without meat, opt for fish, poultry and lean cuts of beef.
Another trick is to stretch your protein portion--cut your meat into thin slices and include the slices in your stir-fry, soups, casseroles, and sandwiches. That way, you are satisfied with less protein because other ingredients make up the bulk of your meal.
Low-Fat Diet
Not all fats are bad. A low-fat diet should focus on cutting back saturated fats and trans fats. Saturated fats are found in most meat products, organ meats, full-cream dairy products (such as milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream), and some plant oils like coconut and palm oil. Trans fats are found in most processed and commercially prepared foods, snacks and fast foods.
Cut back on your fatty meat intake and choose lean cuts of meat. Buy low-fat or non-fat dairy products and skip food with unhealthy oils. Reduce store-bought cookies, snacks, and chips. Instead, choose foods with no trans fats (the worst kind of cholesterol booster). Snack on fresh fruits, heart-healthy nuts, and home-baked goods.
Whenever possible, prepare your own food. This will help you to control what goes into the food. Substitute saturated fat seasonings and dressings with your own no-fat natural seasonings like lemon juice, cayenne pepper, herbs, vinegar and spices. Your method of cooking can make or break it, too. It's best to grill, steam, broil, poach, or bake your food. These methods incur less fat than deep-fried. And if you have to use oil, choose unsaturated plant oils like olive, canola, safflower or healthy blends of margarine made with stanols and sterols.
Low-Cholesterol Diet
There are many low cholesterol foods out there. Fruits and vegetables offer low cholesterol, fewer calories and lots of phytonutrients and fiber. They make good substitutes for high cholesterol foods. The fiber also cleans the arteries of bad cholesterol.
Another group makes stellar low-cholesterol foods---soluble fiber. Consider oat bran, psyllium husk, barley, quinoa, beans, citrus fruits and pear to help lower bad cholesterol. The soluble fiber found in these foods binds to the bad cholesterol that is later eliminated from the body.
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