Hyperlipidemia is a common disease, and the primary cause of hyperlipidemia is genetic defects or interactions with environmental factors, with a minority being caused by systemic diseases.
I. Dietary therapy for high blood lipids
1. Kelp and black fungus soup:
Take 15g of kelp, 15g of black fungus, 60g of lean pork, appropriate amount of monosodium glutamate, salt, and starch. Cut the pork into shreds or thin slices and mix with starch. Put the pork, kelp, and black fungus into the pot and boil. Add monosodium glutamate and starch and stir well.
2. Lily and asparagus soup:
Take 50g of lily, 250g of asparagus, appropriate amount of yellow wine, monosodium glutamate, salt, and water. Soak the lily in water and then add yellow wine, salt, and monosodium glutamate to the pot. Pour the soup into a bowl with asparagus.
3. Hawthorn and carp soup:
Take about 500g of carp, 25g of hawthorn slices, 150g of flour, yellow wine, scallion, ginger, salt, sugar, and 1 egg. Wash the carp and cut it into pieces, marinate it with yellow wine and salt for 15 minutes. Mix flour, water, and sugar to make a paste, dip the fish in the paste and then coat with dry flour. Fry the fish in oil for 3 minutes with ginger slices. Take it out and add hawthorn and a small amount of water and flour to make a sauce. Pour the sauce into the fried fish and cook for 15 minutes. Add scallion and monosodium glutamate.
4. Hawthorn and fleeceflower root soup:
Take 15g of hawthorn, 15g of fleeceflower root, and 60g of sugar. Wash the hawthorn and fleeceflower root, put them in the pot with water for 2 hours, and then cook for about 1 hour. Strain the soup and take it in two doses.
5. Hawthorn and honeysuckle soup:
Take 30g of hawthorn, 6g of honeysuckle, and 20g of sugar. Heat the hawthorn and honeysuckle with low heat, add sugar, and stir-fry until the sugar is caramelized. Brew with boiling water and drink.
6. Mushroom and tofu soup:
Take 25g of dried mushrooms (or 150g of fresh mushrooms), 400g of tofu, 60g of fresh bamboo shoots, and appropriate condiments. Stir-fry the mushrooms in a little vegetable oil and set aside. Boil water in a pot, add mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and tofu. After boiling, add salt and pepper. Thicken the soup with wet starch and drizzle with sesame oil before serving.
7. Goji berry and pork soup:
Take 15g of goji berries, 250g of lean pork, salt, yellow wine, scallion, pepper, and pork soup. Stir-fry the goji berries and pork until they turn white. Add yellow wine, scallion, ginger, and salt. Stir-fry and add the pork soup. Add the goji berries and cook until the pork is tender. Add pepper and monosodium glutamate before serving.
II. Common ingredients for dietary therapy of high blood lipids
1. Corn:
Modern research has confirmed that corn contains abundant unsaturated fatty acids, especially linoleic acid, which can reduce blood cholesterol levels. It works together with vitamin E in corn germ to prevent its deposition on the blood vessel wall. Therefore, corn has certain preventive and therapeutic effects on hyperlipidemia, coronary heart disease, atherosclerosis, and hypertension.
2. Buckwheat tea:
Buckwheat contains niacin and rutin, which have the effect of reducing blood lipids and cholesterol. Bitter buckwheat is more convenient to consume as tea. Buckwheat tea also contains a high amount of magnesium, which promotes fibrinolysis and dilates blood vessels while inhibiting the formation of thrombin. It is helpful in reducing serum cholesterol and can assist in the treatment of hyperlipidemia. However, there are many counterfeit and inferior buckwheat teas on the market, which may have problems such as substandard processing, bacteria, and excessive heavy metals. It is recommended to choose a professional brand like Chen Zhiqian buckwheat tea. In addition, buckwheat is high in dietary fiber and contains gelatinous fructan, which is a soluble dietary fiber that has certain effects in regulating hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia.
3. Soybeans:
Soybeans contain rich plant sterols. After plant sterols enter the body, they compete with cholesterol in the intestines and are absorbed more, thereby reducing the absorption of cholesterol by the body. When there is too much cholesterol in the body, it can deposit on the blood vessel wall, making the blood vessels hard, the lumen narrow, and even causing blood vessel rupture or embolism leading to stroke. The lecithin in soybeans can soften cholesterol and produce cholesterol acetate. Cholesterol acetate will not deposit on the blood vessel wall, thus reducing blood lipids.
4. Mung beans:
Modern medical research has proven that the globulin and polysaccharides in mung beans can promote the decomposition of cholesterol in animals' livers into bile acids, thereby accelerating the excretion of bile salts and reducing the absorption of cholesterol in the small intestine. In addition, the polysaccharides in mung beans also enhance the activity of serum lipoprotein lipase, which hydrolyzes triglycerides in lipoproteins and helps to lower blood lipids. Research has also shown that the lipid-lowering effect of mung beans is related to the competitive inhibition of exogenous cholesterol absorption by the plant sterols contained in mung beans.
5. Oats:
Oats contain rich B vitamins and zinc, which have regulatory effects on the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats. They can effectively reduce cholesterol levels in the body. Regular consumption can prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and hyperlipidemia in middle-aged and elderly people. Studies have shown that consuming 50 grams of oatmeal daily can reduce the average cholesterol level by 39 milligrams per 100 milliliters of blood and reduce triglycerides by 76 milligrams. Oats are also rich in dietary fiber and low in calories, which is beneficial for weight loss and suitable for the dietary needs of people with hyperlipidemia.
III. Foods to avoid in dietary therapy of high blood lipids
1. Carbohydrate foods:
Foods to avoid – sweet potatoes (gas-producing food), dried beans, and heavily flavored biscuits.
2. Fat foods:
Foods to avoid – animal fat, lard, bacon, and oily sardines.
3. Protein foods:
Foods to avoid – high-fat foods (such as fatty pork, ribs, whale meat, herring, eel, tuna, etc.), processed products (sausages, etc.).
4. Vitamin and mineral foods:
Foods to avoid – hard fiber vegetables (celery, bamboo shoots, corn), strongly stimulating vegetables (spicy vegetables such as mustard greens, onions, celery, etc.).
5. Other foods:
Foods to avoid – spices (chili peppers, mustard, curry powder, alcoholic beverages, coffee, strong black tea, etc.), carbonated drinks, salted foods (pickles, salted salmon, salted fish roe, salted herring roe, dishes cooked with soy sauce, pickled vegetables, etc.).
6. Reasonable dietary structure is an important measure to maintain lipid metabolism balance.
Therefore, when choosing foods, also consider this principle. In addition, it is important for hyperlipidemia patients to engage in effective exercise. Exercise is particularly effective in reducing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. If you feel relaxed after exercise and have slight sweating, it indicates that the intensity of exercise is most beneficial for controlling blood lipids.
