MDAdvice.com - Hyperlipidemia Informative Material: Step by Step: Eating to Lower Your High Blood Cholesterol: Go!: How to Change Your Eating Habits & Be More Physically Active

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Hyperlipidemia
MDAdvice.com Home > Health Topics > Informative Material >

Step by Step: Eating to Lower Your High Blood Cholesterol

Go!
How to Change Your Eating Habits & Be More Physically Active

Go to:
Follow the Daily Food Guide for Heart-Healthy Eating
Shop for Foods Low in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol
Food Groups
If You Also Have High Blood Pressure, Watch Your Sodium, Too
Read Food Labels
Cook the Lowfat Way
Eat Right When Eating Out
Eat Right at Social Events
Look at the Sample Menus
Fit Physical Activity Into Your Routine
Lose Weight the Sensible Way
For More Help

Follow the Daily Food Guide for Heart-Healthy Eating

So far, we've been talking about general rules for heart-healthy eating, and things like percent of calories from fat and grams of saturated fat. But what it all boils down to is the foods you eat. Here's a list of the food groups to choose from when you plan your new way of eating. Be sure to note the number of servings and serving sizes.

Turn back to the checklist of your current eating habits in (MEDFICTS). As you read through the shopping and cooking tips for each food group in the next sections, look to see where you need to make changes. Think about how you can change your eating habits so that you can meet your goal to eat in a heart-healthy way.

Daily Food Guide

Food Group	Number of Servings	Serving Size
Lean meat, poultry, fish, & shellfish	Step I: 6 ounces or less Step II: 5 ounces or less	N/A
Skim/low fat dairy foods	2-3	1 cup skim or 1% milk; 1 cup nonfat or low fat yogurt; 1 ounce low fat or fat free cheese that has 3 grams of fat or less in a serving
Eggs	Step I: 4 yolks per week* Step II: 2 yolks per week*	N/A
Fats and oils	6-8*	1 tsp. margarine or vegetable oil; 1 tbsp. salad dressing; 1 ounce nuts
Fruits	2-4	1 piece fruit; ½ cup diced fruit; ¾ cup fruit juice
Vegetables	3-5	1 cup leafy or raw; ½ cup cooked; ¾ cup juice
Breads, cereals, rice, pasta; dry peas & beans; grains; potatoes	6-11	1 slice bread; ½ bun, bagel, muffin; 1 ounce dry cereal; ½ cup cooked cereal, dry peas or beans, potatoes, rice or other grains; ½ cup tofu
Sweets and snacks	Every now & then	N/A

*Includes food preparation. For fats and oils, includes salad dressings & nuts.

To help you compare the Step I and Step II diets, here's how they differ:

The Step II diet calls for smaller amounts from the meat and egg groups. Also, the Step II diet allows only the leanest cuts of meat, fish, and poultry.

The Step II diet allows more servings of vegetable fats and oils (unsaturated fats) since total calories from fat remain at about 30 percent, and saturated fat is cut back.

Remember that the food choices in the Step I diet are similar to those for the entire family (except infants under age 2). However, adults with high blood cholesterol need to be especially careful to keep the saturated fat low and may need special help to stay on their diets.

Shop for Foods Low in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol

Now that you know more about what to eat to lower your blood cholesterol, it's time to stock the kitchen. This part of the booklet is divided into the same food groups as the "Daily Food Guide" table to help you make out your grocery lists.

Remember to eat foods from the different groups each day as well as a variety of foods from within each group to get all the nutrients you need.

If You Also Have High Blood Pressure, Watch Your Sodium, Too

If you have high blood pressure along with high blood cholesterol, you should choose lower-sodium foods from each group. Many low fat foods are naturally low in sodium, but there are some you should watch out for, like regular canned vegetables and soups, some crackers, breads and cereals, pickles, and soy sauce.

Read Food Labels

We've already mentioned that reading food labels will help you choose foods low in saturated fat, cholesterol, calories, and sodium. What will the labels tell you? Food labels have two important parts: the nutrition information and the ingredients list. Also, some labels have different claims like "low fat" or "light." Here's a closer look at labels and some tips:

1. Read the nutrition information.

Look for the amount of saturated fat, total fat, cholesterol, and calories in a serving of a product. Compare similar products to find the one with the smallest amounts. If you have high blood pressure, do the same for sodium.

2. Look at the ingredients.

All food labels list the product's ingredients in order by weight. The ingredient in the greatest amount is listed first. The ingredient in the least amount is listed last. So, to choose foods low in saturated fat or total fat, limit your use of products that list any fat or oil first -- or that list many fat and oil ingredients. If you are watching your sodium intake, do the same for sodium or salt. Use the chart below to find the sources of saturated fat and cholesterol in foods as they may appear in the list of ingredients.

Sources of Saturated Fat & Cholesterol

Animal fat	Cream	Palm kernel oil
Bacon fat	Egg and egg-yolk solids	Palm Oil
Beef fat	Ham fat	Pork fat
Butter	Hardened fat or oil	Turkey fat
Chicken fat	Hydrogenated vegetable oil	Vegetable oil*
Cocoa butter	Lamb fat	Vegetable shortening
Coconut	Lard	Whole-milk solids
Coconut oil	Meat fat	*Could be coconut or palm oil

3. Know what the claims mean.

Besides the ingredients list and the nutrition information that are on all packaged foods, you'll see certain claims on some food packages. These claims include words like "light" and "low fat" and are regulated by the government.

Food Shopping -- TRY IT!

Check off one of these things to try. Do it today!

I'll check the labels on the canned and packaged foods in my cupboards. If they have any of the saturated fat and cholesterol sources, shown in the chart above, I'll buy foods that are lower in saturated fat and cholesterol next time.

I'll tuck the shopping list into my wallet or purse right now-and I'll use it at the grocery store when I shop.

Cook the Lowfat Way

By following the shopping tips we just talked about, you can stock your kitchen with great tasting foods that are low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Now it's time to cook the low fat way.

New Ways to Use Old Recipes

There are lots of special cookbooks and recipe booklets to help you with low fat cooking. But maybe you have a favorite cookbook that you've been using for years. You don't have to throw it out -- just cut down on the high fat ingredients and substitute ingredients lower in fat or saturated fat as much as possible.

Fat-Saving Recipe Substitutions

Instead of...	Use...
Whole milk	Skim or 1% milk
Evaporated milk	Evaporated skim milk
Light cream	Equal amounts 1% milk & evaporated skim milk
1 cup butter	1 cup margarine or ²/₃ cup vegetable oil*
Shortening	Margarine*
Mayonnaise	Nonfat or light mayonnaise or salad dressing
1 whole egg	¹/₄ cup egg substitute or 2 egg whites
Cheese	Low fat cheese
Sour cream	Nonfat or low fat sour cream or yogurt
Fat for "greasing" pan	Nonstick cooking spray


*Note: The texture of baked goods may be different when you use these substitutions. Experiment to find out what works best for you.

Recipe Substitutions -- TRY IT!

Check off one of these things to try. Do it today!

The next time I bake, I'll use two egg whites for each whole egg, and I'll use margarine or oil instead of butter.

I'll switch from regular mayonnaise to light mayonnaise.

I'll make dips with nonfat yogurt instead of sour cream.

I will try to make puddings with skim or 1 percent milk instead of whole or 2 percent milk.

Eat Right When Eating Out

Eating out while following a heart-healthy diet is getting easier: Many restaurants have at least some menu items that are low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Here are some menu items to choose -- and some to decrease:

Choosing Menu Items

Breakfast

Choose:	Decrease:
egg substitute	egg yolks, any style
hot or cold cereal	fried potatoes
toast with margarine and jam	bacon or sausage
English muffin w/ nonfat cream cheese	biscuit, croissant, or sweet roll
fruit or juice

Lunch

Choose:	Decrease:
salad (with dressing on the side)	deluxe sandwiches
regular-sized hamburger (hold the mayo)	hot dog or sausage
turkey, chicken, or roast beef sandwich	fried chicken or fish
soup (other than cream-based)	cream-based soups
	french fries, onion rings, chips

Dinner

Choose:	Decrease:
pasta with low fat sauce	prime rib
grilled or broiled fish or skinless chicken	untrimmed steaks or chops
lean steak, trimmed of fat	fried chicken
vegetarian entree (little or no cheese)	cream sauce or gravy
baked potato w/ a little margarine	fried fish
low fat desserts -- such as fresh fruit, sorbet, sherbet, or nonfat frozen yogurt	rich desserts -- such as cake, cheesecake, tortes, etc.

Here are more tips for eating out:

Choose restaurants that have low fat, low cholesterol menu choices. And don't be afraid to make special requests: it's your right as a paying customer.

Control serving sizes by asking for a small serving, sharing a dish with a companion, or taking some home.

Ask that gravy, butter, rich sauces, and salad dressings be served on the side. That way, you can control the amount you eat.

Ask to substitute a salad or baked potato for chips, fries, or other extras -- or just ask that the extras be left off your plate.

When ordering pizza, choose vegetable toppings like green pepper, onions, and mushrooms instead of meat toppings or extra cheese.

At fast food restaurants, go for salads, grilled (not fried or breaded) chicken sandwiches, regular-sized hamburgers, or roast beef sandwiches. Go easy on the regular salad dressings and fatty sauces. Limit jumbo or deluxe burgers or sandwiches.

At the salad bar, fill up on vegetables. Limit foods like eggs, bacon, and cheese, and prepared salads like potato or macaroni salad. Go easy on the salad dressings -- and choose low-calorie dressing or oil and vinegar when it's offered.

Try different ethnic cuisines. Many such as Chinese and Middle Eastern offer lots of low fat choices.

Eating Out -- TRY IT!

Check off one of these things to try. Do it today!

The next time I go out for lunch, I'll try a regular hamburger instead of the deluxe -- and save on saturated fat and cholesterol.

The next time I order pizza, I'll spice it up with vegetable toppings instead of fattier meat toppings like sausage or pepperoni.

The next time I'm out for dinner, I'll ask that salad dressing and other sauces be served on the side. To cut down on fat, I'll use just a little bit.

Eat Right at Social Events

Eating at social events like parties, receptions, family gatherings, and church socials can be a challenge to your heart-healthy eating style. Since you can't control what is served, you may feel pressured to eat foods high in saturated fat and cholesterol.

Here are some tips that will help you eat healthfully at social events:

At a buffet, look ahead in line to see what low fat foods are available. Fill up on low fat items and take only small servings of high fat foods.

Bring a low fat dish to a potluck dinner. That way, you'll have at least one low fat item from which to choose.

At parties, focus on activities other than eating. Sit away from the area where the food is being served so you won't be tempted to overeat.

Ask for help from your family and friends who know you are following a cholesterol-lowering diet. See if they will include some low fat dishes instead of the high fat favorites.

Have a few ready answers to politely say no to high fat foods. For example, "thank you, but I couldn't eat another bite -- everything was delicious."

If you do eat too many high fat foods at a social event, don't feel guilty. Just eat lightly the next day and get back on track.

Look at the Sample Menus

Now that you are an expert on what foods from the different food groups fit into the Step I and Step II diets, let's get down to the nitty gritty to see how to fit this into what to eat for a whole day. Here are some sample menus to give you some ideas to get started. There are three menus: one for traditional American-style foods, one for Southern-style foods, and one for Mexican American-style foods.

For each style of food there are menus at two different calorie levels -- the average American man eats about 2,500 calories a day and the average American woman eats about 1,800 calories a day. For each of these calorie levels there is a menu that follows the guidelines for the Step I and Step II diets.

Check Your Menu IQ

Which menu item is the lower-fat selection?

1)	Lean roast beef sandwich OR Chicken salad sandwich
2)	Cream of broccoli soup OR Minestrone


1) Answer: The lean roast beef sandwich is usually lower in fat. You can also ask that no mayonnaise, margarine, or butter be put on the sandwich roll. While a plain chicken sandwich would also be a good low fat choice, commercially made chicken salad usually is made with lots of regular mayonnaise, which adds fat calories.
2) Answer: The minestrone is the lower-fat choice: clear, broth-based soups are almost always lower in fat than cream-based soups. Both soups could be high in sodium, so you might want to skip soup if you're trying to lower high blood pressure.

Fit Physical Activity Into Your Routine

Being physically active helps improve your blood cholesterol levels. It can also help you lose weight, if you are overweight. But you don't have to train like a marathon runner to benefit from physical activity! Any exercise, even if it's done for just a few minutes each day, is better than none at all.

You can fit physical activity into your daily routine in small but important ways.

Be More Active Every Day

Take a walk.
Use the stairs.
Get off the bus one or two stops early and
walk the rest of the way.
Park farther away from the store.
Ride a bike.
Work in the yard or garden.
Go dancing.

And being active together is great for the whole family: take trips that include hiking, swimming, or skiing. Use your backyard or park for basketball, baseball, football, badminton, or volleyball games.

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