Tabletop TLC

The heart-healthy diet plan that takes a bite out of high cholesterol

By Deb Rinard

Need a little TLC? If you have high cholesterol or heart disease, or if you’re at high risk for either, then consider the TLC (Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes) diet. It could be just what your body needs.

The eating plan emphasizes vegetables and fruits, lean protein and whole grains. “The goal is to eat 200mg or less of cholesterol a day,” says Kristen Thurmond, a registered dietician at Gilbert Hospital.

“Plants have no cholesterol, but animals do,” she notes. So to reduce LDL levels—think of the L as “lousy” cholesterol—eat more plants. That encompasses vegetables and fruits, as well as whole grains.

Choose olive, canola, safflower or flax oil, and enjoy avocados, olives and nuts. The key is moderation.

“The TLC diet advises five ounces a day of lean protein. You can eat lean meats, but be sure to trim the fat,” Thurmond says. “Buy 93 percent lean hamburger. With chicken and turkey, toss the skin.” And keep in mind that white meat has less saturated fat than dark.

Eating one to two servings of fish a week could reduce your risk of dying of a heart attack by a third or more, according to MayoClinic.com. 
Thurmond recommends choosing swimmers (salmon, trout, halibut, herring, etc.) versus crawlers (lobster, shrimp and crab). The swimmers are high in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids while the crawlers are high in cholesterol. Thurmond also advises buying wild versus farmed fish.  

As for dairy, low or nonfat is the best choice. “If your family is drinking whole milk, go to 2 percent, then 1, then skim. Do it in degrees or the difference in taste will be too great,” Thurmond warns. With 213mg of cholesterol in an egg yolk, only two are advised per week, including those in baked goods. When making recipes, remember that two egg whites are equal to one whole egg.

And don’t forget your fiber. You need 25 to 30 grams a day. Plants, fruits and whole grains are great sources. A slice of whole-wheat bread offers more than three grams of fiber per serving. “Buy 100 percent whole wheat,” Thurmond advises.

Another Approach
Melody Oaks, a licensed certified nutritionist, prefers a more individualized dietary approach to preventing heart disease. “I do blood and saliva chemistries on my clients,” she says. “Because our body chemistries differ based on our genetics, one diet plan does not fit all.”

She advises three servings of fish a week. And while some have a hard time tolerating dairy, Oaks never says never—if you love ice cream, eat it occasionally as a special treat. The same goes for baked goods.

She says grains can also present problems for some of us, with the exception of steel-cut oatmeal, which is a great cholesterol reducer.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are loaded with beneficial fiber, phytochemicals and antioxidants, but buy them at their ripest and freshest at a farmer’s market whenever possible, she says. Raw and organic foods are best. Finally, don’t smoke or overindulge in alcohol. And exercise—after all, the heart is a muscle.

Read about vitality boosting foods in this month's Generation Health AZ, available now.