The Heart Healthy Diet has been formulated by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). NHLBI is part of the Federal Government's National Institutes of Health.
In order to keep your LDL and your risk for heart disease low, you should start on the Heart Healthy Diet. The Heart Healthy Diet is an eating plan that can help keep your blood cholesterol level low and decrease your chance of developing heart disease. Remember: the Heart Healthy Diet is fine for the whole family, including children from the age of 2 - 4 onward. Children under 2 years of age should not follow the Heart Healthy Diet - they need more fat to provide enough calories for growth and development. See the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) if you need to lower your cholesterol levels.
Heart Healthy Diet Guidelines - you should eat:
• 30 percent or less of the day's total calories from fat.
• Less than 300 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.)
All foods that contain fat have different mixtures of saturated and unsaturated fats. Saturated fat raises your LDL "bad" cholesterol level more than anything else you eat. It is found in greatest amounts in foods from animals, such as fatty cuts of meat, poultry with the skin, and whole-milk dairy products, and in tropical oils like coconut, palm kernel and palm oils. Most other vegetable oils are low in saturated fats. The best way to reduce your blood cholesterol level or keep it low is to choose foods low in saturated fat. One way to do this is by choosing foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grain foods, and low fat or non fat dairy products, which are naturally low in fat. Also, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are high in starch and fiber, which can help reduce your blood cholesterol or keep it low.
Dietary cholesterol also can raise your blood cholesterol level, although usually not as much as saturated fat. So it is important to choose foods low in dietary cholesterol. Dietary cholesterol is found only in foods that come from animals. Many of these foods are also high in saturated fat. Foods from plant sources do not have cholesterol but can contain saturated fat. To lower the amount of cholesterol in your diet, choose plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lowfat or nonfat dairy products, and moderate amounts of lean meats, skinless poultry, and fish.
If you have high blood pressure as well as high blood cholesterol (and many people do), your doctor may tell you to cut down on sodium or salt. As long as you are working on getting your blood cholesterol number down, this is a good time to work on your blood pressure, too. Try to limit your sodium intake to no more than 2,400 milligrams a day. To lower the amount of sodium in your diet, choose low sodium foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lowfat or nonfat dairy products, and moderate amounts of lean meat. Add herbs and spices to your food instead of high sodium table salt.
Calories, Overweight, and You
People who are overweight usually have higher blood cholesterol levels than people of desirable weight. When you cut the fat in your diet, you cut down on the richest source of calories as well as saturated fat and cholesterol. An eating pattern high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lowfat or nonfat dairy products and a moderate amount of lean meat, skinless poultry, and fish is a good way to lose weight and improve your blood cholesterol.
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