QuestionHi Sarah,
My husband's doctor recently diagnosed him with extremely high cholesterol, 277 total, and recommended that he go on a low cholesterol low fat diet. Then she said that he would have to go and find a diet on his own, so we have been combing the internet for any helpful information and haven't really been able to find anything at all. He cannot get back into see his doctor for a while as they are a very busy office and did not have time to give him a diet plan. I was wondering if you could maybe give us a general idea, as for calories he should be eating, or how much cholesterol and fat is too much? we have been looking for a really long time and can't seem to find any information. anything you could tell us would be greatly appreciated!! thank you!!
AnswerElevated serum cholesterol levels can usually be lowered by changing the diet; however, your doctor抯 lack of information on how to change your husband抯 diet is all too common. I cannot give a calorie level your husband should be consuming because energy needs are determined by height and weight. However, dietary cholesterol should definitely be limited to under 300mg per day. Low-fat diets are usually prescribed at 50g or 25g of fat (that抯 total fat!) daily. Keeping cholesterol and fat under those recommendations will require both of you to become experts at reading food labels卲lenty of internet sites offer information if either of you do not feel comfortable deciphering the labels. I would recommend diligently reading all labels for a couple of months until you both feel more comfortable with what foods he should be eating and in what amounts; after that you should continue to read food labels but will be able to relax a little and trust your judgment more.
Fortunately, changes can be made without becoming food label obsessed. Foods high in cholesterol need to be either cut out of the diet or limited to only a couple of servings per week. Those foods include egg yolks, organ meats, whole milk dairy products (including cheeses, butter, and ice cream), breakfast meats (sausage and bacon), and duck. Saturated fats may also increase serum cholesterol levels (which is why your doctor recommended a diet low in both cholesterol and total fat). Most foods high in cholesterol are also high in saturated fat, but other foods to limit include beef, processed meats (including lunch meat, brats, and hot dogs), baked goods (such as cookies, cakes, and pies), fried foods, and coconut and palm oils. Trans-fats may also raise serum cholesterol levels, so check ingredient lists for any ingredient that includes the words 揾ydrogenated?or 損artially-hydrogenated?which will indicate at least trace amounts of trans-fat in the product.
With so much not to eat, what抯 left?!?! Low-fat dairy products, fruits, vegetables, and beans/legumes are good choices. Skinless chicken breast, ground turkey, and turkey sausage and bacon can substitute other meats. Studies have shown soluble fiber (found in oats, apples, beans, and psyllium supplements), Omega-3 Fatty Acids (found in fatty fish, nuts, flax, and olives卼ry to stay away from supplements because old oil may actually contribute to more health problems), and plant sterols (now added to margarine and juices) can help reduce serum cholesterol. Baking, broiling, grilling, and steaming will be the best cooking methods to use and nonstick cooking sprays can be used in place of oil. Since cholesterol is only found in animal products, some people find changing to a vegetarian diet is helpful; such a drastic change in diet is a personal choice and may or may not be for your family.
During this process, it is important to remember there is more than one kind of cholesterol. The ultimate goal is to lower 揵ad?LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol to under 70mg/dL, raise 揼ood?HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol to over 60mg/dL, and lower total cholesterol to under 200mg/dL. Raising HDL levels is just as important as lowering LDL levels because HDL cholesterol helps carry excess cholesterol out of the blood and to the liver, 揷leaning?the blood vessels.
If diet changes alone do not improve your husband抯 cholesterol levels, the doctor may prescribe cholesterol-lowering drugs. However, a low-cholesterol, low-fat diet and exercise will still be recommended with the drugs.
I hope you find this information helpful. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. It may seem overwhelming at this point but if you try to look at this as an opportunity to explore new foods and recipes instead of a burden and you will find yourselves much less stressed!
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