Four Ways To Manage Your Cholesterol During The Holidays

The holidays are a time where you get to be with family, attend parties, exchange gifts, and much more. But it can also be a time with plenty of decadent foods. When you battle high cholesterol, you do not always have the luxury of diving into all the delicious dishes that are scattered throughout the festivities. Every food choice you make matters when your cholesterol is high. High cholesterol can quickly lead to heart attacks and strokes if you choose to neglect healthy choices for food and drinks. During the holidays, it can be much harder to resist the great food that everyone brings to the different gatherings. To help you manage your cholesterol during the holidays, here are four tips. 

Curb Your Appetite

When you show up to the holiday parties hungry, you are less likely to make healthy choices on foods that can help keep your cholesterol from skyrocketing. Ideally, you want to have a low-calorie snack before you go out to help lower your appetite a little. Doing this will help take away some of the hunger you may be feeling and allow you time to determine what foods you should consume during the party. If you show up hungry, you may end up grabbing the first food and beverage you see, which can often be high in fat and calories. 

Make Substitutes for Fattening Ingredients

A lot of foods around the holidays can be filled with sugar and fat. Nowadays, you can find a low-sugar or low-fat substitution that allows you to enjoy the same great flavor. Experts suggest that less than 25% of your daily calorie consumption should come from sugar. To help keep the sweet flavor, you can substitute sugar with things like honey, stevia, and agave nectar. Many of these substitutes are all natural and can be even sweeter than using sugar in your recipe. 

Drink Plenty of Water

It can be tempting to load up on the alcoholic beverages when you are at a holiday party, but these drinks are filled with sugar and calories. Instead of grabbing a cocktail or beer, keep a bottle of water on your to help fill you up and keep you hydrated. The more water you drink, the less food and other beverages you will want to consume. On average, you want to make sure you are getting at east 8 glasses of 8 ounces of water each day. 

Dip Out on Dessert

It can be very tough to turn down a good dessert when you are faced with it. Oftentimes, dessert is not served right away. Before people start talking about desserts, go ahead and excuse yourself. If you are already full from the main course, you won't be missing anything by leaving before the dessert is served. 

For more information, contact a business such as Temecula Valley Cardiology.

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