Celebrating Christmas can increase your cholesterol level

How to combat bad cholesterol during Christmas season


At a glance

  • Christmas season is associated with the increased risk of hypercholesterolemia or elevated cholesterol level.


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Cholesterol is not fat. It is a fat-like substance that is a component of our cells and is essential for the body to make hormones and other body functions. It is not bad unless you have an excess of it that causes it to build up in the blood vessels. Thus, impeding proper blood circulation, causing high blood pressure and damage to the heart and other organs like the brain. This is a result of decreased blood flow and oxygenation.

 

The body naturally produces cholesterol. Unfortunately, there are those who are genetically predisposed to producing more cholesterol than others. That is why they have to be extra mindful about their consumption of food that is rich in cholesterol. You wouldn’t want to add more to what’s already inside the body.

 

The Christmas season is associated with an increased risk of hypercholesterolemia or elevated cholesterol levels. Obviously, it is because we tend to consume more food sources that contain cholesterol. 

 

An observational study was conducted on 25,764 individuals aged 20 to 100 years old from the Copenhagen General Population Study in Denmark. The results showed a significant increase in total cholesterol, as well as, LDL Cholesterol (generally considered the bad cholesterol) a week after the Christmas holidays. 

 

In a perfect world, we should celebrate the Christmas season with wholesome, plant-based food sources. However, we’re Filipinos and we can’t have Noche Buena and New Year’s Eve feast without the staples. Ham, lechon, fruit salad, leche flan, and other calorie-laden, high-fat, high-cholesterol, and sugary food. Therefore, in addition to being mindful about your portions, why don’t you take your pick among these tips on how to combat bad cholesterol during Christmas?

 

Drink water throughout the day – It is important to keep yourself well hydrated with pure drinking water instead of alcohol and other sugary beverages. Studies have shown that keeping well hydrated with plain water ensures that HDL or good cholesterol concentration is optimum. Thus, lowering the concentrations of not only LDL or bad cholesterol but also triglycerides which is a vicious type of fat found in the blood. To ensure that water is always available, carry water bottles and drink as often as you can even when you’re not thirsty. Unless you have a medical condition that requires you to restrict water intake, aim for at least 2 liters of water per day and have more when you’re exercising and physically active. 

 

Schedule your exercise – Whether its brisk walking, dancing, running, swimming, resistance training, or any other form of exercise, you should make it a point to schedule at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise five times a week or 20 minutes of high-intensity exercise three times a week. Being physically active will not only strengthen your endurance. It will help you build muscle mass and even increase the concentration of your HDL or good cholesterol. The more good cholesterol you have, the lower your heart-clogging bad cholesterol and triglycerides will be.

 

Load up on Flavan-3-ols – These are plant chemicals or phytochemicals that are uniquely found in plant food only, specifically black and green tea, cacao or dark chocolate, berries, apples, pear, and grapes. Flavan-3-ols can decrease cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood glucose. You can have tea with meals. It will help decrease the absorption of fat in the digestive system but this is not an excuse to be a voracious eater of fatty food. You can have your hot cocoa made from pure cocoa powder and plant-based milk without the sugar. The bitter taste after a meal will help reduce cravings and grazing on leftovers while chatting the night away with your loved ones around the dinner table. If budget allows, you can have fresh berries, frozen berries made into smoothies, or freeze-dried powdered berries for your snack.

 

Fill up with soluble fiber – There are two types of fiber. The insoluble fiber helps with digestion and bowel movement. The soluble fiber found in oats, psyllium, banana, soy, and other legumes, fruits, and vegetables binds with excess cholesterol in the body to facilitate its excretion. It also helps reduce triglycerides and glucose or sugar in the blood. Before the feasting, why don’t you have some oats with soymilk and banana for breakfast? You can also take psyllium fiber before Noche Buena. Just remember to drink lots of water when you’re loading up on fiber to prevent constipation. Just like a sponge, fiber needs water to expand in the gut in order for it to work.

 

Consume natural omega 3 sources – Omega 3 is a type of good cholesterol. It not only lowers LDL but also helps in maintaining a healthy immune system, youthful skin, a healthy brain, and more. You can add some chia seeds to your oats or even in plain water. A tablespoon or two a day will give you so much omega-3 to help control cholesterol. Other sources of omega-3 are kiwi seeds, flaxseed that you can grind and sprinkle on dishes, rice, oats, soy, other legumes, psyllium, and avocado. You can eat these any time of the day before Noche Buena.

 

As we anticipate a merry Christmas, let us also be mindful of what food or ingredients we need to incorporate into our feasting to somehow decrease the burden of indulging in sumptuous dishes on Christmas and New Year’s Eve. 

 

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