Cholesterol is a substance in the blood that helps to build healthy cells. There are two types of cholesterol: HDL (good) cholesterol eliminates fatty cholesterol deposits via the liver and LDL (bad) cholesterol, which in excess builds up in fatty deposits (or plaques) in the arteries. Too much excess LDL cholesterol can lead to heart attack and stroke. Risk factors of high LDL cholesterol include lack of exercise, age, obesity, smoking, heredity, and a poor diet comprised of the following foods:

1. Fatty meats
Avoid fatty meats, like lamb beef and pork, that contain a lot of trans fats if you are trying to lower bad cholesterol. Animal fats tend to raise the total amount of cholesterol in the body. If given up meat is not an option, go for some skinless lean turkey or chicken. Fish is also a suitable substitute. Stay away from process meats. They are high in sodium, which will raise your cholesterol level too.

2. Lard and shortening
Lard and shortening are derived from animal fat. Animal fat is not a good option when you want to lower LDL cholesterol as it’s high in saturated fat.

3. Whole fat dairy products
When it comes to diet, there are two types that will raise your cholesterol: those that contain cholesterol and those that contain saturated fats. Dairy products are high in both of those categories. You should skip dairy products containing fat at all times. Instead, reach for non-fat milk, cheese, and other dairy products. Replace your butter with a healthier margarine or a vegan alternative.

4. Deep fried or fast foods
Most places that serve fried foods are cooking those foods in oils filled with trans fats. Trans fats are on the no-no list. They have been proven to contain high levels of cholesterol. Also, fried foods tend to relace the water in your body with fat. This does not mean that you have to say goodbye to things like French fries. You just need to cook them differently. Consider getting an air fryer.

5. Processed pastries
When it comes to packaged pastries, it is important to read the labels. Processed pastries are filled with trans fats. It is the trans fat that gives the processed food a longer shelf life. It is important to read the labels. However, do not be fulled if the label states that there are no trans fats. If there is less than one gram of trans fat in the pastries, the label could still say zero trans fat. Though if the word hydrogenated appears on the ingredients list, skip buying the product because there is trans fat in the product. Packaged pastries usually contain a lot of fat, which you need to eliminate too.

6. Saturated vegetable oils
Oils that are filled with fat need to be avoided. Using saturated vegetable oil is one reason that fried foods are bad for us. If you need to use an oil, reach for the extra virgin cold pressed olive and coconut oils. They could even have a positive effect on your cholesterol levels. Though there are drugs to help lower your cholesterol, such as Repatha drugs for high cholesterol, eliminating foods that can be triggers are beneficial too.