Heart Healthy Eating

by Susan Baccari, RD, CDE

February, 2003

Now is a good time to make some lifestyle changes that will be good for your heart.

Here are three things you can do that will help you to feel and look better while improving your health.

These improvements will help to prevent and treat heart disease. Studies show that, now more than ever, having high cholesterol levels puts you at great risk for having a heart attack or developing coronary artery disease.

The American Heart Association urges you to reach for the following cholesterol goals.

The number most people are familiar with is total cholesterol. The other numbers shown above, however, are equally important and they give you a more accurate picture than just the single total cholesterol number.

Your total cholesterol should be less than 200 mg/dl, but by looking at the breakdown, we can determine what kind of lifestyle changes you need to make.

If your LDL (the bad cholesterol) level is greater than the optimal 100 mg/dl then you need to take a look at the amount of soluble fiber and saturated and hydrogenated fats you are consuming daily.

If your triglycerides are above 150 and HDL (the good cholesterol) is below 40 mg/dl then you may need to become more physically active, lose weight and decrease the excess amount of calories from fats and sugars.

Here are some tips on how to make these changes.

To help lower your LDL, increase the soluble fiber in your diet to 10 to 25 mg each day. Good sources of soluble fiber are oatmeal, oat bran, apples, figs, prunes, broccoli, turnips, legumes, sweet potatoes and flax seeds.

If you have a difficult time consuming many of these foods, an alternative is a powdered supplement. One brand is called Benefiber. It easily dissolves in liquids and solids and contains 3 grams of soluble fiber per tablespoon. Benefiber can be found at most drugstores.

Limit your saturated fat intake to 10 to 12 grams daily. Large amounts of saturated fats increase your LDL.

What are some sources of saturated fats? Whole milk, regular cheeses, butter, hamburger, hotdogs, prime rib, bologna, salami and skin of chicken are the main culprits. Replace these with non-fat dairy products, lean meats such as skinless chicken, fish, pork and occasional lean beef such as tenderloin. Olive oil, tub margarines and spreads should be used in place of butter.

Avoid hydrogenated fats/trans-fatty acids. These fats can increase your LDL and triglyceride levels as well as lowering your HDL. The main sources of hydrogenated fats/trans-fatty acids are stick margarines, shortenings and most processed foods such as cakes, cookies, crackers and pastries. In addition, fast food restaurants use this type of fat to cook their fried foods, donuts and muffins.

If you're reading labels, and you should be, avoid "partially hydrogenated oils" in the ingredient list. Again, replace butter and stick margarine with olive oil and tub margarines. If you are someone that uses butter or margarines daily, you may want to consider Benecol or Take Control. While these spreads contain some hydrogenated fat, they also contain a beneficial ingredient called plant sterols that have been shown to lower your LDL.

Limit your cholesterol intake. Eat no more than two or three servings of egg yolks per week. Limit shellfish that are high in cholesterol such as shrimp, crab and squid to once per month.

Other sources of cholesterol such as fatty meats, organ meats, and whole fat dairy products are high in saturated fats, so limit your intake to no more than 10 or 11 grams saturated fat per day.

Replace the bad fats with mono-unsaturated and Omega 3 fats. Use olive oil instead of stick margarine or butter. On your salad, sprinkle walnuts instead of cheese. Grab a handful of almonds or peanuts instead of crackers or chips. Use all natural peanut butter on your whole grain toast instead of cream cheese or butter.

Fish such as salmon, mackerel, lake trout, and sardines are great sources of Omega 3 fats. Eat these once or twice a week and they may help to lower your triglyceride levels.

Incorporate more soy into your diet. Consuming about 25 grams of soy protein daily has been shown to lower LDL levels. Admittedly, soy may be difficult to get used to but you can start by using soymilk in your cereal instead of regular milk. The vanilla flavor is a little sweet and can make a high fiber cereal very tasty.

There are some very tasty soy-based veggie burgers on the market. Try a Boca or other brand of veggie burger. Give tofu a try. There are great new convenient tofu dishes in the produce section of your supermarket. Pete's Tofu makes flavorful dipping sauces such as lemon pepper or ginger mango to accompany tofu. These sauces are really wonderful. Other great soy foods include soy nuts, soy flours and there are even soy butters. 

Start moving. Exercise is key in managing your weight, lowering your LDL and triglyceride levels, and increasing your HDL levels.

Check with your doctor before starting an exercise program but do think about moving for at least 30 minutes daily. As you know, walking is a great exercise and you can still do it despite all this snow. Try your local YMCA or possibly invest in a treadmill or stationary bike or even get to the mall before the stores open and do a few laps in a great environment.

You can also try in-home walking videos. There are some created by exercise specialist Leslie Sansone that many people enjoy. She offers a variety of walking routines for all levels. You can find these at large books stores or on line at Amazon.com. 

Lose weight. Losing just 10 pounds can make a difference in your cholesterol levels. If you need to lose weight, ask your physician to refer you to a registered dietitian for individualized attention. Nothing works better than a diet that has been created with your needs and preferences in mind. You can also try the 8-week weight loss group offered by Granite Medical. You will get advice, support, and encouragement and you will learn about nutrition. Go to our home page for instructions on how to join.  

The information in this column is not intended to diagnose individual conditions. Readers should see their own doctors about specific problems.

Back to Health Tips