Activities
What you can do:
- Have your total blood cholesterol and HDL-C level checked within the last 5 years.
- See that your total blood cholesterol is less than 200 mg/dL. This is a heart-healthy level.
- See that your HDL-C is 60 mg/dL or more. This is a heart-healthy level.
- State whether your blood cholesterol was normal or high.
- If your total blood cholesterol is not within the heart-healthy levels, take action to reduce your blood cholesterol to recommended levels. Actions include seeing your doctor and keeping medical appointments, making recommended dietary changes to reduce the saturated fat, total fat and dietary cholesterol. If the doctor orders, take medication and take as prescribed.
- Eat a heart-healthy diet. Eat a variety of foods in moderation according to the United States Department of Agriculture's MyPyramid and the Dietary Guidelines. Reduce dietary fat intake to an average of 30 percent of calories per day and reduce the average saturated fat intake to less than 10 percent of calories per day among people aged two and older.
- Exercise regularly, preferably daily, doing light to moderate physical activity for at least 30 total minutes every day.
- If overweight, reduce to a healthy weight level by eating the recommended heart-healthy way and exercising.
- Follow these recommendations throughout your life.
- Write a plan based on the items listed above regarding how you will decrease, examine and replace fat in your diet.
Web Sites to Visit
Summary
Dietary fats are found in foods. Dietary fat is an important part of a healthy diet, but eating too much is not heart-healthy. A high-fat diet may be a risk factor for certain types of cancer. It is important to think about the total amount and kind of fat consumed every day. Selecting monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats help to lower the bad LDL and raise the heart-healthy HDL levels in our blood.
Choose a diet with less total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol for good health. Think of these three words to help remind you of fat in your diet:
Decrease the total amount of fat you eat. Many people continue to eat high-fat diets. The number of overweight people has increased, and the risk of heart disease and certain cancers remains high. A high-fat diet plays a role in these conditions. Saturated fat raises blood cholesterol more than other forms of fat. Choose a diet that provides no more than 30 percent of total calories from fat. The upper limit on the grams of fat in your diet will depend on the calories you need. For example, at 2,000 calories per day, the suggested upper limit of calories from fat is about 600 calories. Sixty-five grams of fat contribute about 600 calories. On the Nutrition Facts Label, 65 grams of fat is the Daily Value for a 2,000 calorie intake. Reducing saturated fat to less than 10 percent of calories will help you lower your blood cholesterol level. Cutting back on fat can help you consume fewer calories.
Examine the type of fat you eat. Do you eat fats that are heart-unhealthy or heart-healthy? Study the composition of the fat you eat, with the dual aim of lowering the LDL and raising the heart-healthy HDL levels in your blood.
Replace saturated and trans fat with unsaturated (polyunsaturated and monounsaturated) fatty acids. Use liquid vegetable oils instead of solid shortening or lard. Replace foods high in fat with nutrient-strong carbohydrate foods. Eat more vegetables, fruits and whole-grain products instead of cakes, cookies and French fries. Replace higher-fat foods with lower-fat versions of the same food. Drink skim milk instead of whole milk. Study the composition of the fat you eat, with the dual aim of lowering the LDL and raising the heart-healthy HDL levels in your blood.
1. Use 1 tablespoon of polyunsaturated vegetable oil (soybean or other plant oil) each day. Examples of polyunsaturated vegetable oil include the following:
- Olive oil
- Canola oil
- Corn oil
- Soybean oil
- Safflower oil
- Sunflower oil
2. Eat fish regularly. Aim for at least twice a week. Eat fish baked or broiled rather than fried.
3. Use soft tub margarine instead of stick margarine
4. Choose nuts.
5. Eat more fruits, vegetables and whole-grain foods.
6. Drink skim milk instead of whole milk.