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Because you
already have heart disease or are at high risk for developing it, you should start on the TLC Diet right
away. The TLC Diet is a low saturated fat, low cholesterol diet
that will help to reduce your blood cholesterol level to decrease your
chance of developing heart disease, future heart attacks, and other heart disease complications.
TLC
Diet Guidelines -- you should eat:
- Less than 7% of the day's
total calories from saturated fat.
- 25-35 percent of
the days total calories from fat.
- Less than 200
milligrams of dietary cholesterol a day.
- Limit sodium
intake to 2400 milligrams a day.
- Just enough
calories to achieve or maintain a healthy weight
and reduce your blood cholesterol level. (Ask your doctor or
registered dietitian what is a reasonable calorie level for you.)
Because the TLC Diet may include changes to your current eating plan, your doctor may refer you to a registered dietitian (RD) who can help you make these changes. An RD will teach your about the TLC Diet, help you chose foods and plan menus, monitor your progress, encourage you to stay on the TLC Diet, and help you to adjust your calorie level accordingly. |
If your blood
cholesterol is not lowered enough on the TLC Diet, your doctor may first intensify the
TLC diet by increasing the amount of soluble fiber and/or adding cholesterol-lowering
food products to your diet. These products include such items as margarines and salad
dressings that contain plant sterol esters or plant stanol esters. If your LDL is
still not lowered enough, your doctor may prescribe cholesterol lowering medication
along with the TLC diet.
TLC Diet and You - Your Personal Eating Plan
The recommendations for
cholesterol and sodium are the same for everyone on the TLC Diet,
regardless of the number of calories they should eat. You should eat
less than 200 milligrams of cholesterol a day and no more than 2400 milligrams of sodium a day.
The recommendations for saturated fat and total fat are based on the percentage of calories you eat; the actual amount that you eat will vary depending on how many calories you eat. To get an estimate of the amount of calories, grams of saturated fat and fat to help you lower your blood cholesterol on the TLC Diet, follow these easy steps:
For more
information on how to eat on the TLC Diet, visit the other
interactive programs in the Virtual Grocery Store,
Cyber Kitchen and Cyber
Cafe
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