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| Does protein-rich pea soup do better or worse for your cholesterol than the classic bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich? Which is worse? (Photo: Getty Images) The Full Story from iVillage.com |
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| Egg yolk is filled with saturated fat and cholesterol, but so is sausage. So which breakfast choice is worse for your cholesterol? (Photo: Getty Images) The Full Story from iVillage.com |
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| The pancakes lose because they have less protein than the eggs and bacon, and protein helps regulate insulin levels. When insulin is too high, it can impact your cholesterol. Also, store-bought pancake mixes can bring an unwanted ingredient to your plate: trans fats. “The trans fats make the pancakes more fluffy,” explains Mara Vitolins, R.D., Dr. P.h., of the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C., “but trans fats seem to have an even more wicked effect on heart disease than cholesterol.” (Photo: Getty Images) The Full Story from iVillage.com |
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| How does a breakfast pie of spinach, eggs, cheese and milk stack up against eggs benedict, with its Canadian bacon and hollandaise sauce? Which is worse? (Photo: Getty Images) The Full Story from iVillage.com |
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| The quiche has eggs and might even have trans fat in the crust. But it’s the hollandaise -- basically pureed egg yolks -- that makes the eggs benedict the cholesterol loser. Vitolins prefers the quiche because, if you make it yourself, you can easily lower the cholesterol impact by adding more vegetables and making your own (lard-free) crust. (Photo: Getty Images) The Full Story from iVillage.com |
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| Cheerios deliver oats, which can help lower cholesterol. But the omelet has vegetables, including fiber that is also known to bring down cholesterol numbers. Which is worse? (Photo: Getty Images) The Full Story from iVillage.com |
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| First, the cereal: Oats are good for your heart, but and the milk has protein, which regulates insulin levels. But Vitolins warns that Cheerios win this smackdown only if you use fat-free milk. If you prefer an omelet for breakfast, you can turn it into a winner by using egg whites. “Very fibrous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower are good choices for lowering your cholesterol,” she says. “The higher the fiber in the vegetable, the better it is for your cholesterol.” (Photo: Getty Images) The Full Story from iVillage.com |
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| Which is worse for your cholesterol: Corn-based grits or oatmeal? (Photo: Getty Images) The Full Story from iVillage.com |
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| “The butter makes the grits the worse option,” says Vitolins. Plus, oatmeal has soluble fiber that can help lower your cholesterol. Steel cut oats, which have more fiber, deliver the best benefits. For her patients who can’t give up grits, Vitolins suggests they try a butter spray that can give you the flavor without the fat. (Photo: Getty Images) The Full Story from iVillage.com |
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| Does beef or ham do more damage to your cholesterol? Which is worse? (Photo: Getty Images) The Full Story from iVillage.com |
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| Lean deli ham with low-fat cheese would be the healthier option, says Vitolins. But don’t grill it, because adding butter to the bread raises cholesterol. If you just have to have a burger, opt for no more than 4 ounces of lean meat (like turkey or 93-percent lean beef) and use low-fat cheese. (Photo: Getty Images) The Full Story from iVillage.com |
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| Chicken or bacon; romaine or spinach? Which will add more points to your next cholesterol test? (Photo: Getty Images) The Full Story from iVillage.com |
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| “It’s all about what you put on the salad,” says Vitolins. “Caesar salad is loaded with dressing that has high fat content. But with the spinach salad, the bacon is usually just a few little crumbles. So that's the better choice.” Whichever you choose, Vitolins recommends asking for the dressing on the side. And use it sparingly, to cut both calories and fat. (Photo: Getty Images) The Full Story from iVillage.com |
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| Would your heart be happier with a basic PBJ or a warm grilled cheese? Which is worse? (Photo: Getty Images) The Full Story from iVillage.com |
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| “Animal products have cholesterol. Plant products don’t,” says Vitolins, which is why cheese is worse than peanuts. While peanut butter is high in fat, it’s mostly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated -- fats that can actually raise your good cholesterol. (Photo: Getty Images) The Full Story from iVillage.com |
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| Order the grilled chicken and fries, and you won’t get any vegetables (at least, none that aren’t deep fried). But while the cobb salad delivers lettuce, tomatoes, avocados and onions, it also brings bacon, bleu cheese, eggs and ranch dressing. So which is worse for your cholesterol? (Photo: Getty Images) The Full Story from iVillage.com |
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| The fries, with their saturated fat and possibly trans fat, are bad. But they’re not the worst. “The salad should be the healthier option, but the dressing, the eggs, they’re cholesterol-laden,” says Vitolins. To make a healthier cobb salad, switch to fat-free dressing, low-fat cheese, use only egg whites and opt for leaner meats, such as grilled chicken. (Photo: Getty Images) The Full Story from iVillage.com |
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| Does protein-rich pea soup do better or worse for your cholesterol than the classic bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich? Which is worse? (Photo: Getty Images) The Full Story from iVillage.com |
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| If your pea soup has just ham bits, and not big chunks, then the BLT is the worse choice. After all, you’re probably getting four or five strips of fatty bacon. Stay away from “gourmet” soups with lots of ham and added cream. “One simple change can make a food better or worse for you,” says Vitolins. (Photo: Getty Images) The Full Story from iVillage.com |
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| Do the high-fat avocados in the guacamole make it the better or worse option than the potato chips and dip? Which is worse? (Photo: Getty Images) The Full Story from iVillage.com |
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| In the battle of the dips, think green, says Lauren Graf, R.D., clinical nutritionist at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. “People often steer clear of guacamole because it’s high in fat, but it’s monounsaturated fat which helps lower cholesterol. And it has fiber,” says Graf. Read product labels on premade dips and pass on any product that contains partially hydrogenated oils. (Photo: Getty Images) The Full Story from iVillage.com |
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