Diet plan for lowering blood lipids

To effectively lower blood lipids through diet, the three core principles are to "strictly control the intake of added sugars, limit trans fats and excessive saturated fats, and increase the proportion of daily dietary fiber to more than 30% of the total food intake." Most people without underlying diseases can reduce triglycerides by 20%-50% and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) to varying degrees as long as they persist for 3 months.

Last year, my dad's physical examination showed that his triglycerides were 3.8mmol/L, and the low density was also at the critical line of 3.6. The doctor said that he did not need to take medicine for the time being, and that he would first adjust his diet for three months. The plan I made for him was based on the above three principles. I didn't let him eat all vegetarian meals, nor did I let him eat boiled vegetables every time. I reexamined him after half a year, and both indicators returned to the normal range. Many relatives around me came to ask for prescriptions after hearing about it. In fact, it is not that complicated. Just avoid a few pitfalls that most people will step on.

At this point, some people may ask, then I won’t eat sweet food and instead eat vegetarian food with less oil, right? Not necessarily. Not long ago, I met an aunt at a community free clinic. She had been on a vegetarian diet for half a year, but her triglycerides had risen from 2.9 to 4.2. When I asked her, I found out that she was afraid that vegetarian dishes would be tasteless. There is indeed a school of vegetarian research that advocates that a strict all-plant diet can effectively reduce low-density lipoprotein, and there is a lot of clinical data to support it. However, the problem is that 90% of ordinary people cannot be "qualified vegan" at all. If you don't eat meat, but you eat refined carbohydrates, overuse vegetable oils, and eat a bunch of processed vegetarian snacks with added sugar, your blood lipids will increase. As for the popular ketogenic diet in recent years, it advocates extremely low carbohydrate and high fat intake. There are indeed many small sample cases showing that it can quickly lower triglycerides. However, this plan is very risky for people with pre-existing hypercholesterolemia and gallstones. There is currently no unified recommendation from the academic community. Ordinary people should not try it on their own.

Let’s first talk about the most overlooked issue of added sugar. Don’t think that only milk tea cakes are called sugar. Flavored yogurt, instant three-in-one coffee sold in supermarkets, and even many cereal pastes that claim to be “added-free” have crystallized fructose and maltodextrin added in them, which are all considered added sugars. The World Health Organization recommends that the daily intake of added sugar should not exceed 25g. If you drink a 300ml bottle of flavored yogurt, this amount is almost enough. The sugar will not be used up by the body and will be converted into triglycerides for storage. When I adjusted my dad's diet, I first replaced his favorite sweet soy milk with sugar-free freshly ground sugar. The pork buns for breakfast were occasionally replaced with steamed corn. When he was hungry in the morning, he was not allowed to touch peach cakes. He was replaced with small tomatoes or original almonds with less than 10 pieces. With this change, the triglyceride level dropped by 1.2 in the first month of review.

Let’s talk about the fat problem that people are most likely to go to extremes. There is really no need to talk about fat discoloration. Fat can also be divided into good and bad. The kind of trans fat in fried dough sticks and fried chicken, as well as bread and shortbread made with non-dairy fat and shortening, you really need to give up completely. Even eating one bite will not be good for blood lipids. As for the saturated fat that everyone is afraid of, there is no need to completely exclude it. For example, the fat in lean pork and the cholesterol in egg yolks. As long as you don’t eat them all the time, one egg and two ounces of lean pork a day is completely fine. The latest "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents" has long since removed the upper limit on daily cholesterol intake, so you no longer need to be afraid of eating egg yolks. My dad also ate steamed seabass twice a week at that time, about half a pound each time. The Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in it can also help regulate blood lipids, which is much more reliable than buying fish oil, a health product that costs hundreds of dollars. Oh, by the way, don’t just think that vegetable oil is healthier than animal oil and just use it. No matter what kind of oil, the calories are the same. Don’t use more than 25g of oil per day, which is about the amount of an ordinary porcelain spoon. My family now directly uses an oil spray bottle to fry a plate of vegetables and spray it three or four times. It saves a lot of oil than before using a spoon.

Finally, let’s talk about dietary fiber, which is most lacking in many people’s diet. To put it bluntly, it means eating more vegetables with gluten, grains with skin, and mushrooms and algae. For example, eat enough green leafy vegetables every day, including spinach, rape, and celery, and replace at least half of the staple food with cereals, such as brown rice, oats, and sweet potatoes. Don't buy the kind of instant oatmeal that melts in a moment of boiling water. Choose raw oats that have been cooked for more than ten minutes. They have a low glycemic index and more than three times the dietary fiber content of instant oats. At that time, my family ate mushrooms or fungus at least three times a week, either stir-fried vegetables or thrown into soup. It made me feel full and helped absorb cholesterol in the intestines. It was much more effective than taking any intestinal health supplements. Let me share a little trick that I have used for a long time: take two bites of vegetables before eating, and then eat staple food and meat. Blood sugar will rise slowly, and blood lipids will not rise easily. Personal testing is especially useful for people with high triglycerides after meals.

There are a few small details that are easily overlooked by the way: drinking is really a killer of blood lipids, especially in the summer when many people like to drink cold beer with barbecue. Alcohol will directly affect the lipid metabolism of the liver. After a meal of barbecue beer, triglycerides can more than double. My dad used to drink two cups, but he basically stopped drinking during the half year of adjustment. At most, he sips a small glass of red wine during the Chinese New Year. And the most frequently asked question is whether sugar-free drinks can be drunk? There are indeed different opinions in the academic circles. Some studies believe that sugar substitutes will not affect blood lipid metabolism, while other studies have found that long-term drinking of sugar substitute drinks will interfere with intestinal flora and increase triglycerides. To be more prudent, drink more boiled water and light tea. If you really want to drink something sweet, soaking in wolfberry or dried dates is better than sugar-free drinks.

In fact, there is really no need to make the blood-fat-lowering diet extremely painful. There is no need to eat boiled vegetables all the time, and there is no need to completely give up favorite foods. My dad still eats two pieces of braised pork occasionally. As long as you follow the principle most of the time, a good plan is a plan that can be adhered to. Of course, I have to remind you: If your low-density lipoprotein has exceeded 4.9mmol/L, or you have been found to have atherosclerotic plaques, don’t just rely on dietary adjustments. You must see a doctor to evaluate whether you should take statins. Diet is only an auxiliary means. Don’t delay regular treatment.