One of the top risk
factors of heart disease
– high cholesterol – is
something you can
take charge of reducing
with these simple diet
changes – today!
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 46% of
Americans live with at least one of the top three risk factors for heart disease:
high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking. Locally, heart disease and
stroke were identified as top health priorities for residents in the 2020 Calvert
County Community Health Needs Assessment. In many cases, high cholesterol
can be controlled with dietary changes.
Recently, we sat down with board-certified cardiologist Dr. Cassius
Belfonte of Calvert Internal Medicine Group to learn more about how high
cholesterol increases our risk for heart disease and how we can control it
by eating healthier.
“Avoid fast food and processed foods, avoid food that is heavy in cheese and
butter – but definitely the fast foods,” said Dr. Belfonte.
High cholesterol leads to plaque buildup on the arteries over time, which
can lead to a heart attack. High cholesterol increases the risk for heart disease
and stroke, according to the CDC. Most healthy adults should get their
cholesterol checked every 4-6 years, but those with risk factors will need to be
tested more often.
Dr. Belfonte recommends that individuals with high cholesterol eat more
(unsalted) nuts, seafood, vegetables, and fruits. For protein sources, stay away
from pork and beef.
The simplest changes to help lower cholesterol can be to switch regular
butter for low-fat and cholesterol friendly versions, substituting vegetable oil for
more cholesterol-friendly oils like avocado oil and olive oil, and swapping whole
milk for almond milk or skim milk for whole milk.
Managing cholesterol with diet doesn’t totally mean removal of foods, either.
Some foods can raise your “good” or high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol such as fish and seafood, unsalted nuts, and avocados. You don’t have
to give up all cheese, Dr. Belfonte said, but focus more on lower fat
cheeses like mozzarella and low-fat cottage cheese.
Breakfast could be a challenge for those with high cholesterol,
since many favorite American breakfast foods like bacon and sausage
have high amounts of it. Dr. Belfonte said one egg a day is usually fine
for cholesterol levels, but more than that could contribute to
high cholesterol.
“For breakfasts, I encourage patients to focus on fruit, oatmeal
and nuts,” Dr. Belfonte said. Personally, he’s a fan of simple breakfasts
like toast and bananas.
Cholesterol-friendly Breakfast Ideas
Many common breakfast
foods are also big
cholesterol culprits. Try
these satisfying breakfast
combinations that will
help keep your
cholesterol in check:
- Yogurt parfait with low-fat Greek yogurt and fresh fruit
- Banana split yogurt parfait: Slice a banana lengthwise, serve with
low-fat Greek yogurt, fruit, and chopped unsalted nuts
- Alaskan avocado toast: Mash half an avocado onto a slice of whole
grain toast, layer smoked salmon on top
- Chocolate strawberry protein oats: Prepare one serving of oatmeal
according to package instructions. Remove from heat and add one
scoop of chocolate protein powder and sliced strawberries
- Peanut butter cup protein oats: Prepare one serving of oatmeal
according to package instructions. Remove from heat and add one
scoop of chocolate protein powder and one tablespoon of peanut
butter powder (such as PB2)
- Green smoothie: Combine one single-serve container of Greek
yogurt, one cup of almond milk, one half avocado, and one
cup of fruit into a blender and blend
until smooth
- Breakfast caprese toast: On a slice of
whole grain toast, spread a layer of
ricotta cheese, drizzle with olive oil,
and top with tomatoes, basil, and a
drizzle of balsamic vinegar