How To Make A Low Cholesterol Diet Taste Great

If you’re planning on going on a low cholesterol diet it can be a bit of a worry that you are going to be cutting out so many of the foods that you love. That’s the trouble with many diets – the stuff that is bad for you tends to be the stuff that you really like. But thankfully there are plenty of great and tasty options for you if you’ve decided to go low cholesterol in your diet. It is just about knowing where to look, and given that it’s sometimes hard, we’ve prepare d a list of delicious and nutritious low cholesterol options.

 

Instead of croutons, use walnuts

A salad is always healthy right? Well, the trouble is that while the main components of a salad are extremely healthy and good for you, many people like to add optional extras such as croutons which really push up the calories, fat and that nasty cholesterol we all want to avoid. So how about swapping them out of your salads for walnuts? Walnuts give that same crunch you’re looking for and also add a little more flavour and texture to the monotony of salad.

 

Drink wine, not cocktails

We all like to indulge sometimes and enjoy a little drinking. Maybe we’ll have a cocktail with dinner or maybe just when we want to relax. Unfortunately all the stray ingredients used in cocktails can be very bad for us. Depending on the cocktail you can see things used such as coconut cream, sugar syrup and other foodstuffs that are filled with cholesterol. So, next time you’re drinking you should make sure you drink wine instead. Red wine has one tenth of the carbohydrates that you will find in a single margarita. Now that’s food (or should that be drink?) for thought.

 

Try edamame beans and nut, not cheese and crackers

Who doesn’t like a bit of cheese and crackers? The problem is that as a snack it is completely brimming with cholesterol and therefore it needs to be avoided. Try eating nuts such as almonds or choosing edamame beans as your snack next time you feel a little peckish. It will do wonders for your waistline and you’ll be putting another foot forward in your quest to eradicate cholesterol.

 

Vinegar and lemon juice, not salad dressing

We’re back to salads again! Now that you’ve substituted those croutons for walnuts let’s take a look at the other problems (and this one is even bigger). You can make a salad as healthily as you like, but then throw it away in an instance by pouring on a gloopy salad dressing that is positively made of calories and virtually nothing else. The intense cholesterol-packed sauce will take your salad from a healthy meal and turn it into a nightmare. But help is on the way and it comes in the form of lemon juice and vinegar. This flavoursome duo adds a kick to your salad without the cholesterol.

 

Use margarine, not butter

Many of us love the creamy taste of butter on everything from toast to jacket potatoes to a topping for vegetables. But butter is packed with cholesterol and is clearly going to be naturally bad for you. So the best plan to swap it out and choose instead a spread with low levels of cholesterol. A great choice is a spread that is based around olive oil, but really any margarine will be an improvement on the cholesterol-heavy nature of butter. This is another great way to save on cholesterol and help to keep your healthy.

Categories: butter, cholesterol, cholesterol diet, cholesterol nbsp, drink wine, edamame beans, lemon juice, margarine, nbsp, salad, salad dressing

Deft Dieting: How to Stay Healthy Even When Eating Out

There are so many cheap options for eating out these days that we’re venturing out more and more, but at what cost to our wellness? Eating out more often has been linked to obesity, so how do you guard your wellbeing against weight gain while still enjoying being wined and dined?

 

1. Do your research: Most restaurants, at least the chains, will have their menus available to view on their websites, so get in-the-know before you go! Work out the healthy dishes and pick your favourite before you even leave the house – and stick to your decision once you’re in the restaurant. If there are establishments you visit often, collect their menus so that you have them to refer to.

 

2. Choose the right table: While sitting by the window or near a TV in a restaurant can be a fun distraction, this actually causes you to eat more. In all the commotion, it’s easy to lose track of how much you’re eating, and you end up shovelling it in. Whether you’re making a reservation or just walking in, as for a quiet spot so that you can enjoy your food more mindfully.

 

3. Order first: Even if you have the best of intentions, you know you’re going to buckle the minute your friend orders something temptingly decadent. Place your order first before you start doubting your healthy choice.

 

4. Get the details: Menus don’t always include every single detail about every single dish – they’d be 20 pages long if they did! Therefore, it’s important to ask the waiter about these details before you commit. How is the dish prepared and with what ingredients? Can the dish be modified or changed to a low-fat or low-calorie option? What comes with this meal and can you make substitutions? How large are the portions? You can request that the food be made with minimal salt, butter and oil, for two portions of veggies instead of chips, and if a particular dish can be broiled or baked rather than fried. You might have to choose something else, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.

 

5. Stop snacking…: The appetiser menu always looks so appealing, but giving in to temptation causes to do real damage to your waistline before the actual meal begins. Not only are appetisers loaded with fat; they also take your appetite away from the healthier main meal to come. Either push the free basket of bread to the other end of the table, or ask the waiter to remove it.

 

6. …Or only snack: While munching before a meal is a big diet no-no, certain appetisers can be excellent choices for an entree. Normally, you’re not hungry enough for anything more than a starter-sized meal anyway, so why bother ordering a big, chunky main meal. If one appetiser is just shy of enough to satisfy you, order a side salad to bulk up the meal – just make sure you don’t order anything fried or covered in cheeses, oils and cream sauces.

 

7. Be savvy with your salad: A salad is often the healthiest thing on the menu, but additional ingredients can turn your salad from your best friend into your worst enemy. Plenty of fresh greens, beans and veggies are good, but limit your use of high-fat dressings or toppings like cheese, eggs, bacon or croutons. The best dressings include vinaigrettes or a generous squeeze of fresh lemon, and you can control how much you use by ordering dressing on the side, and drizzling it on yourself. Alternately, dip in your fork before using it on the leaves, and you’ll have a little dressing with every bite.

Categories: Appetisers, dish, main meal, meal, nbsp, order, order first, salad, salad dressing

How Can Lemon Help You to Lose Your Postnatal Weight?

Pregnancy is an amazing time, and there’s no denying that the beautiful new little person in your life is worth all that bother that your body and wellbeing goes through, but what about after the baby’s born? Suddenly, you don’t have the excuse of being pregnant for why you’re the size of an exercise ball, so how do you get your weight in better shape?

 

Getting your figure back after giving birth is a common wellness concern for pregnant women, but – unfortunately – postnatal weight loss is not easy as you can look pregnant even after the delivery. This happens because, during pregnancy, your uterus expands over a nine-month period, and so it will inevitably takes time before it snaps back into its normal shape and size. Plus, the effects that pregnancy and delivery have on your hormones and diet can make weight loss even trickier, so you need as much help as you can get. Luckily, your postnatal weight loss diet can be a whole lot simpler with one citrus fruit; lemon. Let’s look at how can lemon help you to get back to the old you.

 

Lemon juice – Lemon juice is a healthy fluid to drink after delivery, but if you want to really shift that postnatal weight, you need to refrain from adding sugar. Instead, add a little healthy, fat-burning honey. Together, these ingredients work to burn away the fat deposits in your body, flush out any toxins and keep your stomach clean. Try having lemon and honey juice first thing in the morning, as the cocktail is at its most effective when consumed on an empty stomach.

 

Hot lemon water – Hot water is known for its weight loss benefits, so try to drink hot water all day long. However, do not have the water immediately after having meals, just have a few sips to soothe your dry throat if you feel thirsty. It’s best to have a glass of hot water 30-60 minutes after eating, and you can add a little lemon to get the most effective results. For postnatal weight loss, all you need is three glasses of hot lemon water a day.

 

Lemon Dressing – You’ll probably eat a few salads in your bid to shift that pregnancy weight, but watch out for the dressing! Salad dressing is really fattening, particularly if it has cream and mayonnaise. So for postnatal weight loss, try using lemon for dressing your salad instead.

Categories: lemon juice, postnatal, salad dressing