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January 17, 2005
Managing Your Cholesterol
Do you know your cholesterol numbers? If you don’t...you should!
Overall, your total cholesterol should be less than 200 mg/dl. The HDL cholesterol is the healthy cholesterol and you want this number to be high (at least 60 mg/dl). You want to have less LDL cholesterol (less than 100 mg/dl) because this type of cholesterol builds up in your arteries. Lucky for you there are lifestyle changes you can make to help raise the good cholesterol and lower the bad cholesterol.
Ways to Increase HDL (Healthy cholesterol):
Weight loss. Expend more calories than you consume.
Exercise. Moderate intensity, long duration. Walk for 30 minutes rather than run for 10.
Quit smoking. Enough said.
Ways to Lower LDL (Lousy cholesterol):
Limit Saturated Fat. Choose chicken, turkey, low fat fish, lean ground beef and lean cuts of beef. Choose low fat cheese and milk.
Limit Trans Fat. Think fresh. Commercially prepared foods often contain trans fat. If the ingredient list has hydrogenated oils in it, the food has trans fat. Some food companies/fast food chains have modified their foods to reduce the amount of trans fat in their products. Read the food labels!! Margarine and shortening also contain trans fat.
Choose Monounsaturated Fats Daily. This is the type of fat we want you to eat! Olive, canola and peanut oil are the best oils to use. You can spread peanut butter on almost anything: bread, pancakes, waffles, bananas, apple slices, or celery. Slice avocado on tacos or sandwiches. Have ¼ cup of nuts for a snack.
Choose Polyunsaturated Fats Sometimes. These fats are ok, but not as good as the monos. Vegetable oils (safflower, sunflower, soybean), and sunflower seeds are high in polyunsaturated fats.
Fill up with Fiber. Eat 5 fruits and vegetables every day. Try to make each one a different color. Include whole grains daily – whole wheat bread, tortillas and pasta, brown rice, and high fiber cereal.
Be Active. Walk, climb stairs, take the long way, turn on music and dance. Move, move, move.
Soy Products. Try soy milk, tofu, tempeh, soy nuts, or veggie burgers. Aim for 25 grams of soy protein each day.
Try Stanols/Sterols. These plant substances that help block cholesterol absorption are fortified in spreads like Take Control or Benecol.
Read Food Labels – know what you are eating!
Surround yourself with supportive friends and family.
Posted by Lisa at January 17, 2005 08:46 AM
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