low cholesterol diet

[Guest guest]

Hello Kay and Dennis,

Here's the low cholesterol diet I found. There are others, they all

are pretty much the same in what they say. This one seems too be the

most 'simple' to understand. ~ Gretchen

There's a lot of information available about diet, nutrition, and

cholesterol. It can be hard to focus on what's important. Try to

remember these three basic rules, recommended by leading health

authorities, including the American Heart Association and the

National Institutes of Health:

Avoid high-fat foods:

Fatty red meats

Butter

Lard

Tropical oils (coconut, palm, palm kernel)

Bacon

Whole milk and whole milk dairy products (cheese, yogurt, sour cream,

ice cream)

Replace animal fats with vegetable oils

Use vegetable oil or olive oil instead of butter or lard

Enjoy low-fat foods:

Fruits

Vegetables

Fish, chicken (skinless), and lean meats

Whole-grain cereals, pastas, and rice

Fat-free or 1% milk

Fat-free or low-fat yogurt

The TLC diet

If your cholesterol level is too high, your doctor or nutritionist

may recommend the Therapeutic Lifestyle Change (TLC) diet developed

by the National Institutes of Health.

The TLC diet is a low-saturated-fat, low-cholesterol eating plan that

recommends that:

Less than 7% of calories come from saturated fat

Dietary cholesterol be limited to less than 200 mg per day

You consume only enough calories to maintain a desirable weight and

to avoid weight gain

If you follow these guidelines and your LDL (bad) cholesterol is not

lowered enough, you can try increasing the amount of soluble fiber in

your diet. Certain food products, such as cholesterol-lowering

margarines and salad dressings, can be added to the TLC diet to boost

its cholesterol-lowering power.

Tips for getting started:

Learn to read food labels. They are your source for information on

how much fat and cholesterol foods contain.

Make changes slowly. Getting used to your new diet gradually can help

make it easier for these changes to become part of your life.

Talk to your doctor or nutritionist if you have questions or need

advice.

Try new foods or brands to find those that you and your family will

enjoy.

Check a few low-fat and low-cholesterol cookbooks out of the library.

Try some of the recipes.