How to check cholesterol at Christmas? Many people suffering from high cholesterol and other health problems tend to think of the Christmas and New Year holidays
as a free time, to be remedied from January onwards. However, this leads to one problem, indeed two.

The first is that cholesterol does not go on vacation, and high cholesterol sufferers must keep this under control, especially if they also have problems with high blood pressure, high blood sugar or high triglycerides.

The second problem is that most people won’t be paying attention from January onwards. Until after the Epiphany, we are still under the temptations of the Christmas holidays, in February there is Carnival. This means that many people, faced with constant temptations, try to moderate themselves for a week or two, and then return to their old habits.

Yet there are practical and easy ways to always control cholesterol, but above all if we know we have a moment of food freedom like that of the holidays.

In this article we see 5 ways to control cholesterol at Christmas, without giving up.

How to check cholesterol at Christmas in 5 steps

1) The fiber trick

What I recommend to all people suffering from high cholesterol is to use fiber wisely, especially when we plan to have some party where
they will eat more fatty foods.
These are the 3 things to remember. We can do them all or choose at least two.

• In the morning, a low-fat yogurt (or milk, cow or vegetable) with two teaspoons of oat or wheat germ.
• Before lunch and before dinner, eat 150 grams of raw carrots, not the baby type: the fibers of normal raw carrots reduce the absorption of cholesterol from food more than other vegetables.
• During the holidays, have at least three compensatory meals with konjac shirataki . For example, two meals between 24th, 25th and 26th December and one between 31st and 1st December.

Konjac shirataki are a type of pasta that we can eat in all the shapes we want and are composed of glucomannan, a powerful fiber for reducing bad cholesterol levels. This is why I always have a supply of them at home. With a restricted sauce (shirataki do not absorb liquids as they do not have starch), you can get a filling and fast dish for 50 calories, which is not only a substitute for pasta but is good for the intestine and for reducing cholesterol.

2) Cut down on alcohol.

Those who suffer from high cholesterol must be careful about alcohol, and in particular make the choice to avoid spirits, reserving at most a glass of dry wine per meal, just because it’s Christmas. In fact, many people with high cholesterol tend to underestimate the impact of alcohol.

3) Take a break.

Another element that cholesterol sufferers underestimate is stress. Many people experience Christmas as a lot of stress, because they have little time to do everything. And the free time that remains is spent with the family. This generates anxiety for many, that is the set of preparations and commitments.
But stress raises cholesterol, and one of the things we can do to reduce it is to take a walk alone or with others, which has a beneficial effect on the metabolism and nervous system.
If we have very little time, remember to take one minute a day to take 5 or 6 deep breaths with the nose of 5 seconds each, followed by 3-4 seconds in which we hold the breath and 10-12 seconds in which we exhale loudly from the mouth. . A little trick to lower stress immediately.

4) A single “fried” at the table and away the fat from cured meats and sausages.

Fried foods, fatty dressings, and fatty foods are a problem for those with high cholesterol. But there is no lack of temptations at the table. We can try to set only one rule, and that is, if the table has a lot of fried foods, limit yourself to just one piece of fried food per meal. And if we are the ones preparing the fries, fry in abundant extra virgin olive oil and not in seed oil, trying not to keep the flame neither too high nor too low, use absorbent paper to deposit the fried food. As an alternative to this rule, where there are no fried foods, but appetizers with mayonnaise and / or puff pastry, limit yourself to a small piece per meal.
In both cases, if we are going to eat cured meats and sausages, it would be better to eliminate the visible fat.

5) Apple cider vinegar before meals.

We have already seen that before a meal we must eat 150 grams of raw carrot to avoid “absorbing” too much cholesterol from food. Well, let’s not eat the carrot alone but “season” it with a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. We can also chop it, and add the vinegar and a pinch of pepper if we want, or use the vinegar together with a teaspoon of skimmed Greek yogurt for a kind of vinaigrette.
Apple cider vinegar before meals, in doses of one teaspoon, helps reduce the absorption of bad cholesterol.
If we don’t like the idea of ​​dressing our beautiful carrot or carrots with vinegar, or drinking it like this, or we are afraid to forget it, an even more effective apple cider vinegar supplement is available today.