In honor of International Cholesterol Day, Efrat Segal, dietician at Strauss Dairies, shares tips for maintaining proper cholesterol levels with your daily diet.

Today, the world is marking Cholesterol Day. The one day of the year in which we pause and think about whether our diet is satisfactory and give more attention to various health indices (particularly our cholesterol). So how do we manage to maintain proper cholesterol levels throughout year?   The underlying fundamental of cholesterol treatment is maintaining a healthy lifestyle: proper nutrition, regular exercise and no smoking. These recommendations apply to the entire population, and particularly to people at risk of developing atherosclerosis. Nutrition-wise, every person has different nutritional needs, based on his/her background diseases, body weight and lifestyle. It is, therefore, very important to seek personal dietary advice, tailored to such risk factors.     With this in mind, I listed some key principles common to all dietary recommendations:   1. Proper body weight – Calorie intake should facilitate such weight. Proper body weight is defined as BMI (weight divided by square root of the height) between 18.5 to 25.   2. Plenty of fiber – Your diet should be rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, pulses and foods high in fiber.   3. Less sugar and salt – Limit your intake of sugars and reduce salt intake.   4. Reduce fats – Limit the amount of fat in your diet, particularly saturated fat, and minimize consumption of trans fats.     5. Phytosterols lower cholesterol levels – Include 1-2g phytosterols in your daily diet. Phytosterols are natural ingredients extracted from plants and have been shown in studies to be effective in lowering LDL cholesterol in the blood. They prevent absorption of cholesterol from the intestine and thus reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood. Consumption of 2g per day leads to about 10% decrease in cholesterol level. Our body doesn't produce phytosterols and so their only source is food. Phytosterols are found mainly in whole grains, fruits and vegetables, nuts and almonds, yogurt drink to lower cholesterol and oils. The average western diet contains about 6g of phytosterols per day. It is important to point out that people with high risk of heart disease mustn't replace their medical treatment and should consult their doctor.     6. Move your body – Regular, controlled and structured physical activity helps improve your fitness and health. It reduces the incidence of heart and coronary disease and increases your life expectancy and quality. Physical activity also contributes to reducing and maintaining body weight and balanced cholesterol level. It is recommended for the population at large, in all age groups, to engage in aerobic exercise at medium to high intensity (30-60 minutes, 2 -3 times a week). In addition, it is recommended to engage in activity that strengthens major muscle groups such as weight lifting and resistance training at least twice a week. Start your physical routine gradually and make sure to incorporate warm-up exercises and relaxation at the beginning and end of each session. Always consult your physician before you begin.