During menopause, cholesterol levels can rise, increasing a woman’s risk for heart disease. While you’ll want to talk to your doctor, there are some things you can do to help you reduce your heart disease risk:
•Replace higher fat proteins with leaner options or vegetable alternatives, such as soy, to help keep saturated fats at a minimum in your diet. 8th Continent soymilks provide a good source of protein yet, are low in saturated fats, have zero grams of trans fat and are naturally cholesterol free.
•Limit saturated fat as much as you can. It’s the thing in your diet that effects blood levels of LDL cholesterol the most. New American Heart Association guidelines recommend keeping saturated fat to less than 7% of your total calories for the day.
•Watch your intake of trans fats which can impact cholesterol levels, too. They’re found in hydrogenated fats and oils like stick margarines and often in baked goods. The American Heart Association recommends keeping trans fats to less than 1% of total calories for the day.
•Limit dietary cholesterol to less than 300mg per day. Cholesterol is found only in animal products. Soy is naturally cholesterol free.
Know what your blood cholesterol levels are. Adults over 20 years old should have their cholesterol checked at least every five years. If you have high cholesterol already you will need to get it checked more frequently. For women optimal blood cholesterol levels are:
•Total cholesterol: < 200 mg/dL
•LDL cholesterol: < 100 mg/dL
•HDL cholesterol: > 50 mg/dL
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