There are many advanced studies and progressive guidelines available about various diseases and disorders that help us to prevent and manage health anomalies such as diabetes, heart ailments, cancer, stroke, arthritis, chronic kidney disease, and many more. However, many doubts cross our minds every day, and while we do plan to make changes in diet and lifestyle, we also keep pondering on what to eat and what not to eat, which is a zillion-dollar question with so much information hovering around us. 

Amongst all, one chronic health problem that has engulfed the planet more so in the last few decades is cholesterol imbalance. In layman’s terms, high cholesterol is bad and must be addressed at the earliest. However, this may not always be true. There is a bigger picture involved with this health problem, and what may be considered too high for your body could be in the normal range for someone else. While measuring the amount of cholesterol and triglycerides in your blood can help predict your risk of blocked arteries and much more, let us acknowledge that cholesterol, the most talked about health issue, is a tad bit complex to understand.

Also Read: 6 Common Cholesterol Myths Busted

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What Is Cholesterol?

First things first, what exactly is cholesterol? In simple words, cholesterol is nothing but a waxy, fat-like substance found in the cells of the body. An essential substance to make hormones, while it is found in some forms of fats, it is found in foods too. The following are 4 types of cholesterol that are found in the human body:

LDL- Low-density lipoprotein, also known as bad cholesterol, LDL is the main source of blockages in the arteries.

HDL-High-density lipoprotein, HDL is considered the good cholesterol and helps get rid of LDL or the bad cholesterol.

Triglyceride- 60% percent of a VLDL particle is triglyceride. This is the reason why VLDL cholesterol is frequently valued as a percentage of triglyceride value.

VLDL-Very-low-density lipoprotein VLDL cholesterol is produced in the liver and released into the bloodstream to supply body tissues with triglycerides.

Also read: Yoga For Hypercholesterolemia: Balance Blood Cholesterol Levels With These Powerful Yogasanas

A common notion that imbalanced cholesterols are only found in men is indeed a myth. Dyslipidemia is the leading cause of heart disease in men as well as in women. Poorly managed cholesterol could lead to heart attacks, stroke, and other health problems. The most effective way of lowering VLDL cholesterol levels is to lower triglycerides. This can be done by eating foods that can reduce lower triglycerides in the body, such as garlic, tofu, oatmeal, almonds, walnuts, cocoa, brussels sprouts, apples, pears, and citrus fruits. It is crucial to add these to the daily diet while you are trying to improve cholesterol ratios.

Also Read: Know About the Warning Signs Of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)

A healthy lifestyle is about the kind of food we eat. Primarily most essential meal of the day is breakfast since it is eaten after a long gap, and we also need loads of energy to keep us up and running throughout the day. In case you are on the higher side of cholesterol levels, or even otherwise you intend to let them be in great numbers, here are two sumptuous breakfast ideas that are nutrition-dense and help in reducing those scary cholesterol levels.

Oat And Gram Flour Thalipeeth

Ingredients:

1 cup oats

1/2 cup gram flour

1 cup water

1 finely chopped onion

1 chopped green chili

1/2 cup chopped coriander

1 tsp cumin powder

A pinch of asafoetida

2 tbsp olive oil

Salt to taste

Method:

In a blender, add oats and grind them into fine powder

In a pan, boil water, add all the ingredients leaving the oil

Add oats and gram flour

Mix everything and cover it with a lid

Allow it to rest for 10 minutes

Knead the dough and apply oil to it

Make small balls and shape them into parathas

Grill the parathas well

If the paratha is a little dry, pat it with a little more oil

Thalipeeth or parathas are ready to serve with curd or pickle

Nutrition:

Thalipeeth is a healthy, mouth-watering, and nutritious breakfast that has oats as its key ingredient. A fabulous soluble fibre, oat reduces bad cholesterol. Gram flour is a rich source of protein and contains healthy unsaturated fats that help in lowering the cholesterol levels

Jowar and Vegetable Porridge

Ingredients:

1 cup powdered jowar

1/2 cup coarsely powdered peanuts

1 tsp oil

1 cup chopped vegetables (French beans, carrot, cauliflower)

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

A pinch of asafoetida 

Salt to taste

1/2 cup tbsp finely chopped tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped onions

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh coriander

Method:

In a pressure cooker, mix jowar with salt in 4 cups of water and pressure cook for 4 whistles

In another pan, heat oil, add asafoetida and mustard seeds

When the mustard seeds crackle, add vegetables and let it sauté for about 5 minutes

Add the cooked jowar, add water, and let it simmer

Add the peanuts

Add tomatoes, onion, and coriander

Simmer for another minute and serve hot

Nutrition:

Jowar or sorghum is the main ingredient of this recipe. Jowar is prized as a superb gluten-free grain, and the abundance of fiber helps lower LDL levels in the body. Vegetables are high in pectin, which is also a great cholesterol-lowering fiber.