Many of you may be making New Year’s Resolutions during this time.  Lots of New Year’s Resolutions focus on health and wellness like lose weight, exercise more, quit smoking and eat healthier.  One of the things you can also focus on in the New Year is reducing cholesterol in the diet.  Cholesterol is a waxy substance.  It is present in the body and body cells of humans and animals.  Our bodies produce cholesterol.  But it is also found in some of the foods we eat.

There are two sources of cholesterol:

–  Foods containing fats rich in cholesterol.  These are foods of animal origin including meats, bacon, sausages, eggs, lard, dairy cream, ice cream, whole milk, and most cheeses.

–  Our own body.  Our body can produce cholesterol using fats we eat in excess.  These fats can be vegetable oil, margarine, mayonnaise, salad dressings, fried foods, pastries, peanut butter, or any food rich in fats.

When we limit the amount of fats we eat, we also reduce our cholesterol.  This helps reduce the risk of heart disease as well as the risk of gaining weight and developing some types of cancer.  It is important to use less fats and cholesterol.  Try these tips:

–  Skin chicken, trim and discard fat from beef and other meats.

–  Boil, bake, roast, and broil meats and other foods instead of frying.

– If you use margarine, butter or other fat-rich spreads on toast and sandwiches, use “low-fat,” “diet,” or “nonfat.”  Avoid buying margarines that have coconut or palm oil.

– When buying cooking oil, choose safflower, corn or canola, and use it in small quantities.

–  Use lemon juice for the salads or non-fat/low-fat dressings and spreads.

Your body makes all the cholesterol you need to keep you healthy.  When you eat foods high in saturated fat and cholesterol, your body can make too much cholesterol.  Over time, this extra cholesterol can clog your arteries.  You are then at risk for having a heart attack.

Ask your doctor to do a simple test to measure how much cholesterol is in your blood.  Your doctor will tell you your number.  Learn what your number means.  A blood cholesterol under 200 is desirable.  If your number is between 200 and 239, you have a borderline-high blood cholesterol.  Be alert.  You are at risk for a heart attack.  You need to be more active and make some changes in the foods you eat.  Eat fewer foods high in saturated fat and cholesterol.  If your number is 240 and over, you have high blood cholesterol and are in danger.  You have a higher risk for a heart attack.  Work with your doctor to lower it.