National Cholesterol Education Month

Smart Swaps to Help Your Heart

You can't see high cholesterol. It doesn't have any symptoms, but it is a major risk factor for heart disease. This hidden danger kills 500,000 Americans each year. You can do something about high cholesterol if you understand your risk.

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a soft, fat-like, waxy substance found normally in the bloodstream and in all your cells. Cholesterol is an important part of a healthy body because it’s needed for a number of bodily functions. But too much cholesterol in the blood is a major risk for coronary heart disease (which leads to heart attack) and for stroke.

Ever heard of ”good” and “bad” cholesterol?  Confused by what that means?

LDL is known as the “bad”cholesterol, and you can remember L for “lousy” and L for “low”, meaning that you want LDL to be as low as possible.  Current guidelines state it should be below 100. 

HDL is known as the “good” cholesterol, and you can remember H for “healthy” and H for “high”, meaning that you want HDL to be as high as possible.  Current guidelines state that it should be above 60, and actually becomes protective against heart disease when it exceeds this number.   

What determines my cholesterol?

Many factors help determine whether your cholesterol level is high or low.  In addition to your diet, heredity, weight, physical activity, age, sex, alcohol intake and stress, all play a role.

Some cholesterol is made by your body. The food you eat is responsible for the rest. Foods that contain saturated fat and trans fat are the main culprits that impact the cholesterol in your blood. Surprisingly, these foods raise your cholesterol even more than the foods that actually have cholesterol in them!

What can I do to lower my cholesterol?

The American Heart Association recommends keeping:

• total fat to between 25 -35 percent of your total calories
• saturated fat to less than 7 percent of total calories
• trans fats to less than 1 percent of total calories
• limiting your intake of cholesterol from food to less than 300 mg per day

It is also helpful to eat at least 25 to 30 grams of dietary fiber each day, preferably from whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes, to help in cholesterol reduction.

Maintaining a diet low in saturated fat and trans fat is the first step in reducing your cholesterol levels.  Saturated fat is found in high fat red meat, dark meat poultry (the skin), butter, cheese and whole or 2 percent milk. Trans fat is often found in foods that are processed such as certain types of margarine, cookies and bakery products.  But the good news is that saturated fat and trans fat can be avoided as there are fat-free and low-fat versions of many foods easily available. 

10 Smart Swaps for a Healthier Heart

1. Instead of full-fat dairy products, choose fat-free or low-fat varieties like milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, sour cream, cheese, and mayonnaise.
2. Choose a “light” butter or margarine that is trans fat free and low in saturated fat.  Many companies are offering light spreads that contain healthy fats.
3. Use liquid plant oils for cooking and baking, or a non-fat cooking spray. Olive, canola, and other plant-based oils are rich in heart-healthy unsaturated fats, and contain little to no saturated fat.
4. Choose lean proteins such as lean cuts of red meat, skinless chicken breast, fish, skinless turkey breast, pork tenderloin, and extra lean ground beef.
5. Choose lean cold cuts such as turkey, ham, roast beef or chicken. Top them with mustard instead of mayonnaise, or purchase a non-fat or light mayonnaise.
6. Snack wisely.  Read the label to find foods that are low in saturated and trans fat.
7. Include “good” fats in your diet.such as fatty fish like salmon, nuts such as walnuts or almonds, and canola oil, all good sources of omega-3 fatty acids.
8. Limit your intake of fried foods like fried chicken and French fries.  Choose a healthier cooking method for these foods like grilled chicken and roasted potatoes.
9. Choose a healthier dessert idea such as non-fat yogurt, ice-cream, or a sorbet instead of the full-fat versions, which are sure to have saturated fat.