If you are suffering from high cholesterol, the risk of developing heart diseases also increases. However, it is important to keep in mind that this can be managed simply by making certain lifestyle and dietary changes. It is important to understand that cholesterol issues arise not just due to genetics but also due to the poor lifestyle and dietary habits that you may be following. You can follow a healthy diet to keep a check on it, especially on the lines of the Mediterranean diet, for significant changes. Even though cholesterol is required for the healthy functioning of the body, it is important to know that high cholesterol levels might also lead to several, even major, health issues.

Also, while snacking, ensure that you are opting for guilt-free snacks for managing high cholesterol. Both High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) and Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol are important for the body. At the same time, it is important to keep a check on the LDL or bad cholesterol levels and maintain the HDL or good cholesterol levels. Here are some of the tips to follow if you have high cholesterol levels:

• Stay away from saturated fats
  Saturated fats are quite toxic for your health as they aggravate cholesterol issues. Most ready-to-eat food items these days contain a huge amount of trans fat, which helps maximize their shelf life. Even though there have been a lot of conflicts in the food industry regarding the inclusion of trans fat in foods, it is still in common usage. Guilt-free snacks for high cholesterol are foods that have unsaturated fats as these are easy for digestion and also not unhealthy.
• Include more fruits and vegetables
  Vegetables and fruits are undoubtedly the most significant parts of our daily diet. They are high in fiber and low in trans fat, and they also help in controlling cholesterol levels. Ensure that you include a larger portion of green leafy vegetables, colored vegetables, strawberries, blueberries, tomatoes as well as plums in your diet. These guilt-free snacks for high cholesterol keep a check on your cholesterol levels and improve your overall health as well. It is important to keep in mind that the more colorful vegetables you include in your diet, the healthier your diet would be.
• Exclude refined grains
  Nothing can be as dangerous as including refined sugar in your daily diet. Instead, you can include whole grains in your diet for fiber content. Whole grains also help you feel full for longer as they take longer to be digested. Try to avoid refined flour and normal rice, and consume whole wheat flour, brown rice, and oatmeal instead as they are much healthier options. If you want to make guilt-free snacks for high cholesterol, opt for whole wheat flour and oatmeal as ingredients rather than reaching for refined flour.