A normal blood cholesterol is important to keep the body healthy and in a balanced state. That is why low fat low cholesterol diet is needed for those with high cholesterol levels as well as those with heart diseases and hypertension because this can cause complications such as heart attack or stroke.

Cholesterol is not a culprit in the body but the main component of many parts of our body such as the membrane in our cells as well as in hormones like steroids so totally eradicating it will cause many diseases. Cholesterol is made up of many lipoproteins that are classified according to their densities and these are low density cholesterol or LDL, intermediate density cholesterol or IDL, high density cholesterol or HDL and very low density cholesterol or VLDL.

The most known are the HDLs or good cholesterol and the LDLs or the bad cholesterol as publicized by many books, shown in television and featured in the internet. LDLs are said to make you more prone to diseases of the heart and brain due to them being deposited on the walls of the blood vessels that in turn become narrow and can later be blocked and therefore, cut the blood supply to the heart and brain.

HDLs are also recognized by many as the good cholesterol and serve to counter the bad effects of LDLs as well as lower the LDL levels. But keep in mind that the 'bad' effects of LDLs are only when there is an excess and there is little risk if LDLs are within the normal blood levels.

Because modern food which are rich in saturated fatty acids and are great sources of LDL are the ones that are easily available, they have quite become the main composition of the modern day diet. The bad effect of hypercholesterolemia is exacerbated by the high salt contents of processed foods so that there is an increase in hypertensive diseases and its complications.

In order to have a healthy low fat low cholesterol diet, the food we take in should be those that are rich in unsaturated fats such as olive oil, canola oil, and nuts. When you purchase processed food, make sure that you buy those with low amount or with no hydrogenated oils since they are great sources of LDLs.

It is best that you avoid frying your food too much, and instead cook them by grilling, baking or steaming, this way you avoid adding fats to your diet and also to preserve the nutrients in them.

But before you go into a diet, it is best that you consult your physician or a nutritionist to ensure the food you eat is balanced and will not have any adverse effect especially if you already have a heart condition or other metabolic diseases. You can find books that have recipes especially for those who are on a weight loss program as well as for people with metabolic disorders. There are also many resources online that you may use to make good food using ingredients that is compliant with your low fat low cholesterol diet program.