High cholesterol occurs when your body is depositing excess cholesterol into the blood, which causes many diseases, including stroke and heart disease. You have probably come across the acronyms LDL and HDL when reading or talking about cholesterol. HDL, high density lipoproteins, is considered “good cholesterol” and LDL, low density lipoproteins, is referred to as “bad cholesterol”. To lower bad LDL cholesterol there are many foods you can avoid that will in turn boost your HDL cholesterol, and reduce the risk of heart attack:

1. Fatty meats
When considering ways to reduce your LDL cholesterol there are two things to keep in mind. Eating foods that are low in cholesterol and low in fat. Lamb, beef and pork are three meats that have the highest fat content. In addition to avoiding these meats, avoiding too many eggs is also recommended. They have an extremely high cholesterol content. However if you happen to love eggs and other meats, consuming lean meats as well as only the whites of eggs is better as there is no cholesterol in that part of the egg. Sorry folks, bacon is off limits too! Unless it’s turkey based.

2. Lard and shortening
Avoiding these two fats is crucial in the fight to lower bad cholesterol. The body produces cholesterol on its own. Eliminating these fats from your diet is highly advantageous. Foods to limit that contain these two items are mayonnaise, some salad dressings, certain chocolates, and gravy or other dipping sauces.

3. Whole or reduced fat dairy products
Overall, dairy products are least likely to be the biggest dietary factor when trying to correct your bad cholesterol. The dairy debate is tricky. Choosing low-fat or non-fat dairy is better than whole or reduced fat products concerning cholesterol levels. However recent studies show that high fat dairy products can contribute to reducing the risk of some cancers, and low fat dairy products can contribute to infertility. When it comes to reducing bad cholesterol a good rule of thumb is to reduce fat intake or cut dairy out of your diet altogether.

4. Deep fried or fast foods
It’s no surprise that these are foods to avoid due to the high fat content as well as high caloric content. Staving off fried and fast convenient foods will not only aid in reducing your bad cholesterol, but will possibly help you shed a few pounds.

5. Processed pastries
The prime ingredients in most pastries is lard or shortening. The difference with fresh pastries and processed pastries is the type of fat used to make them. While it is beneficial to avoid all pastries due to high fat content, processed pastries are slightly worse because they contain hydrogenated oils. These oils make the pastries harder therefore increasing shelf life and your bad cholesterol!

6. Saturated vegetable oils
Avoiding saturated fats is one of the best things you can do to help out your cholesterol levels. Unfortunately all cooking oils will contain some level of saturated fat. The higher levels are found in vegetable oils, coconut oil, and palm oil. You might be shrieking over the coconut oil because of many health claims but the truth is that it contains 85% saturated fat and is really better suited for skin care. Oils containing less saturated fats like olive oil, canola oil, and safflower oil will be healthier options over