High cholesterol is an universal problem and is perhaps the single most factor behind making cardiac diseases the most prevalent and recurrent disease of this world. Given our current lifestyle and dietary habits it’s very obvious that our body will have excess of cholesterol.
In order to reduce this cholesterol lifestyle changes are very important. Incorporating a healthy lifestyle along with proper exercises goes a long in reducing this problem. Since most of the cholesterol enters our body through the food we consume, it’s important that we eat foods which are low on cholesterol and yet manages to provide the necessary nutrients that our body requires.
However it should be remembered that simply avoiding fats or oily products from food items doesn’t serve the purpose. It’s important to choose the right kind of foods in order to ensure that you get the maximum benefit out of your cooking methods.
Here we shall give a brief description of various cooking methods and food items that can guide you about different methods of how to cook low cholesterol meals.
How to Cook Low Cholesterol Meals
Broiling or Microwaving Broiling
Broiling or Microwaving Broiling is a method of cooking low fat recipes where the excess fat drains out into the bottom of the pan. Microwaving is another popular methods where food can be prepared in very little time using very little or no oil.
Example- Micro-Baked Beans (Prep time: 5 min, cooking time: 10 min)
1 lb of untrained canned baked beans
1 lb of drained canned red kidney beans
1/2 cup salsa
1/4 cup finely chopped onions,
1 tsp mustard
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After losing weight with the Mediterranean Diet, many men and women wonder how to maintain healthy weight. The Mediterranean Diet is one that promotes the consumption of a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, and whole grains, while limiting the consumption of red meat, sweets, and highly processed foods. This helps both men and women lose weight, maintain muscle, and improve their health.
How To Maintain Healthy Weight: Female Caloric Requirements
After losing weight, it is important for women to determine the calories required to maintain weight. The amount of calories needed to maintain body weight depends on a variety of factors. These factors include a person’s activity level, their current weight, age, and body composition.
The average number of calories to maintain weight for women is approximately 1,500 per day. While this is true for the average woman, this number does vary per individual. Additionally, while it is important for women to be aware of their caloric intake while maintaining their weight, it is just as important to be sure that they are focusing on consuming highly nutritious foods. A diet that includes mostly fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes will be one that is successful in maintaining a recent weight loss.
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The Mediterranean diet (MD) has its roots with our Greek and Roman ancestors, inhabitants of the Mediterranean region that was the birthplace of modern civilization. The well-known staple of the Mediterranean diet, olive oil, was used by the Ancient Greeks as a substitute for animal fat, a food they deemed unhealthy.
During the last few decades, components of the traditional MD have been adopted around the world. Based on the diets of people living in Greece, southern Italy, Portugal, Cyprus, Spain, and Turkey, the MD has become popular worldwide due to the health benefits associated with following such a diet. Researchers’ initial realization that heart disease was less prevalent in the Mediterranean region led to decades of scientific studies on the MD’s relationship with health and longevity.
Recently, a peer-reviewed study was conducted by Dr. Perez-Lopez and his team from the University of Zaragoza, Spain, in order to determine what the existing scientific literature concludes about the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet [1]. Their examination found that the MD is in fact associated with numerous health benefits, including lower rates of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and cognitive decline associated with age. These health benefits also appear to translate into a longer lifespan for individuals who follow a Mediterranean diet.
Mediterranean Diet Protects Against Cancer
Studies have shown that lycopene, a major component in tomatoes, may have protective properties against cancer [2]. Fish consumption has also been linked to a reduced risk of cancer [3].
The MD is rich in both tomatoes and fish as well as other foods, like fruit, vegetables, and olive oil, which may provide nutrients that can help lower risk of cancer. This was supported by a large study of over 25,000 individuals, in which a correlation was found between adherence to the traditional MD and incidence of cancer. Study participants’ adherence to the MD was assessed on a scale of 0 to 9.
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