High levels of bad cholesterol can raise risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

Here are some of the eating mistakes you may be making on a daily basis. Avantii Deshpaande, Clinical Nutritionist shares the list of 7 bad eating habits that can increase LDL cholesterol:

Bakery goods include biscuits, cakes, pastries, puffs, cream rolls etc. These foods are prepared using vegetable fat i.e. vanaspati or margarine which are high in trans fats which in turn increase the bad cholesterol.

2. Eating processed meats

All frozen meats like sausages, salami, burger patties, bacon etc. are preserved by smoking or salting, curing or adding chemical preservatives. They are not just high in bad cholesterol but are also carcinogenic. It is best to avoid these completely.

3. Having fast food as snacks

Both Indian fast foods like pav bhaji, samosa, bhature and western ones like pizza, burgers etc are high in LDL cholesterol. It’s the use of ingredients that makes it high in saturated fats and also the making process of using stale ingredients, reheated oil for frying, high fat and high carbs ingredients and low fibre ones that make it harmful - not just in increasing cholesterol but also obesity, diabetes and PCOS.

Fruits and vegetables have high fibre which will help us to reduce the LDL cholesterol and increase the HDL cholesterol. Along with this, fruits and vegetables are also rich in phytonutrients that have antioxidant properties and remove the toxins out of the body and cleanse the vital organs like liver, intestine and kidney. Make sure you include 5 servings of fruits and vegetable in the diet.

5. Eating foods low in soluble fibre

Soluble fibre draws water from the gut which softens the stools and also can bind to the cholesterol and remove it from the body. Oats, peas, apple, guava, carrots, citrus fruits are rich in soluble fibre. Make it a point to include these in the diet

6. Indulging in processed foods

Any food which is available in packets and has a longer life on the shelf would mean that it has processing done on it to improve the shelf life. These foods are known to increase the bad cholesterol if the processing and the packing conditions are not standard operating process or follow any certifications like HACCP. Make sure you are vigilant to pick processed foods and use it minimum as possible

7. Having high sugar foods and desserts

Packed fruit juices, products having high fructose corn syrup, staples like white bread and or even desserts are sometimes not high in fat but in sugar. These sugars are converted to fat in the body and this in turn would increase the bad cholesterol.

Source: Hindustan Times