Would giving up meat help with cholesterol?!
Would giving up meat help with cholesterol?
I am doing well on the cholesterol diet and have been eating much more veggies. Do I really need the meat?
I am also taking Milled Flaxseed, once a day, 1 tablespoon in my food. Any suggestions for replacement for the protein? Your help is appreciated
Answers:
Yes, it will. The fiber in the fruits and veggies will help lower cholesterol and the lack of meat will eliminate a huge source of cholesterol. If you also cut out eggs and use only skim milk then you will have NO cholesterol in your diet. As long as you're getting an appropriate amount of calories, you don't have to worry about getting enough protein. If you want to add more Omega 3 and healthy fats to your diet, drink Silk (3 times as much Omega 3 as milk), and cook with olive oil instead of butter or margarine. Peanuts and all natural peanut butter (not the hydrogenated kind) are a great source of healthy fats and protein.
Beans... Lots of beans :)
And yes, giving up meat would do wonders for your cholesterol levels.
No, you don't actually need the meat. Yes, having a diet heavy on the veggies does improve your cholesterol. Navy beans are heavy in protein, so eat up!
Protein shakes if you don't want to smell like a restroom from eating all those beans.
Cholesterol can be reduced by diet but there are also other factors concerned such as genetics. There has been cases, although rare, where vegetarians have been found to have high cholesterol. You can never go wrong with fruits and vegetables in the diet, the more the merryier.
It would DEFINITELY help your cholesterol problem, because cholesterol is only found in animal sources. That being said, though, if you decide to become a lacto-ovo-vegetarian, you should also remember that eggs and dairy also have cholesterol.
I always love these protein questions!
The Standard American Diet has waaaaay too much protein. The average meal is centered around meat, which is a strong source of protein in and of itself. On top of that, people eat cheese, drink milk, and consume many other types of protein. Americans literally have a protein overload. If you were to stop eating meat, you wouldn't need to 'replace' what you're getting rid of. Our bodies don't need *that* much protein to begin with. You will be just fine as long as you eat a wide variety of fruit, veggies, and beans.
And yes, meat will help with your cholesterol.
You don't need "replacement" protein. Just make creative, vegetable and grain based meatless meals.
If you consume dairy and eggs, however, your cholesterol level will still remain at a level higher than if you were eating all plant-based food.
Cholesterol is ONLY found in meat and eggs. Not in any plants.
There's your answer
Here is a good article on cholesterol.
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsou...