Category: Nutrition

*  Make cell walls

*  Make vitamin D and some hormones

*  Give structure to the covering (myelin) that protects nerve fibers

*  Make bile. This helps your body digest fat.

*  Cholesterol the body makes (mostly in the liver)

*  Cholesterol in animal foods (dietary cholesterol)

*  All men age 35 and older

*  Men ages 20-35 and women age 45 and older who are at an increased risk for coronary artery disease

*  Persons with diabetes and/or heart disease

*  LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol

*  HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol

*  VLDL (very low density lipoprotein) cholesterol.

*Note: Your doctor will discuss and prescribe treatment and medication based on your target blood cholesterol numbers, plus other risk factors:

*  Your age and health conditions, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD)

*  Your LDL-cholesterol and 10-year risk for CVD

*  A family history of premature CVD

*  Other CVD risk factors

*  You have had a heart attack or stroke.

*  Cigarette smoking. Secondhand smoke.

*  High blood pressure

*  High LDL-cholesterol level

*  Diabetes or insulin resistance

*  Being overweight or obese.

*  Lack of exercise.

*  Sleep apnea.

*  Being male 45 years+ or female 55 years+

*  Heart disease in a father or brother before age 55; in a mother or sister before age 65

*  Kidney disease

*  Excess alcohol

*  Stress, often with anger, can trigger a heart attack.

*  Metabolic syndrome.

– Waist size ≥ 40 inches for men; ≥ 35 inches for women

– Blood pressure ≥ 130 mm Hg systolic and/or ≥ 85 mm Hg diastotic or you take medicine to lower blood pressure

– A fasting blood sugar ≥ 100 mg/dL or you have diabetes

– Triglycerides ≥ 150 mg/dL

– HDL-cholesterol < 40 mg/dL for men; < 50 mg/dL for women.

*  Choose foods low in saturated fat and with zero trans fat. These raise LDL (bad) cholesterol in the blood more than anything else in the diet. Read food labels. Trans fats are in foods that have hydrogenated oils.

*  Eat foods with plant sterols and stanols, such as margarines and salad dressings made with these.

*  Choose monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

*  Limit meat serving sizes. Choose lean cuts of beef, pork and lamb. Trim fat from meat. Choose chicken and turkey. Take the skin off poultry before you eat it.

*  Eat fish 2 to 3 times a week (e.g., salmon). Fish has omega-3 fatty acids, a healthy unsaturated fat. So does cod liver oil. Ask your doctor about fish oil supplements. Find out about mercury and other pollutants in fish fromwww.epa.gov.

*  Get 20 to 35 grams of dietary fiber a day, especially the water-soluble type from oat bran, oatmeal, kidney and other beans, lentils, apples, oranges, and carrots.

*  Eat a variety of whole-grain breads, cereals, and pastas; fruits and vegetables; lentils; beans, etc. These plant foods are low in saturated fat and have no cholesterol (if you do not add fatty toppings and spreads). Have soy milk, soy yogurt, and tofu.

*  Limit alcohol to 2 drinks a day for men and 1 drink a day for women and persons age 65 and older. One drink = 4 to 5 oz. of wine, 12 oz. of beer, or 1-1/2 oz. of 80 proof liquor (whiskey, vodka, etc.).

*  Your doctor may tell you to limit dietary cholesterol to 300 milligrams (mg) a day (200 mg a day if your cholesterol is high).

*  Statins. These help your body make less cholesterol and help the liver remove LDL (bad) cholesterol already in the blood. Examples are lovastatin and pravastatin. Statins lower LDL (bad)cholesterol more than any other type of drugs. They also lower triglycerides and raise HDL (good) cholesterol.

*  Resins. These bind with cholesterol-containing bile acids in the intestines and are then passed in the stool. Examples are cholestyramine and colestipol. These lower LDL (bad) cholesterol.

*  Nicotinic Acid or Niacin. This is a B vitamin. You can buy this over-the-counter, but a doctor should prescribe the amount you take and monitor its use. Niacin lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides and raises HDL (good) cholesterol.

*  Fibrates. These medicines lower triglycerides and raise HDL (good) cholesterol. Examples are gemfibrozil and fenofibrate.

*  Take your medication as prescribed. If you have questions, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

*  Tell your doctor about side effects. Common side effects with many cholesterol-lowering medicines are bloating, gas, abdominal pain, constipation, and nausea. Hot flashes or flushing is common with niacin. Ask your doctor how to minimize these side effects. Often they wane with time. Make sure to tell your doctor if you have muscle soreness or weakness, and/or brown urine.

*  Plan your breakfast the night before, so you don’t have to take time in the morning when you’re rushed or half awake.

*  Pack a quick breakfast “to go” the night before. Bag a couple of cheese cubes, some crackers, and a piece of fruit and eat them on the way to work or school.

*  Don’t limit yourself to traditional breakfast foods like toast and cereal or ham and eggs. Any nutritious food is fine if it appeals to you. If you prefer pita bread stuffed with tuna fish and tomato wedges, for example, help yourself.

*  If you don’t have much of an appetite in the morning, eat small portions. Have half a slice of toast or half a bowl of cereal with a few ounces of milk, for instance. Then eat a piece of fruit or a cup of plain yogurt later, when your appetite wakes up.

*  Start your day with a good source of vitamin C. Strawberries, grapefruit, and oranges are refreshing wake-up foods, and one serving will meet the recommended allowance for vitamin C.

*  Include a good source of protein with your breakfast. Research suggests protein foods can help keep you alert. Milk with cereal or toast is better than just fruit or fruit juice. So is a glass of milk and an English muffin topped with pineapple bits and sprinkled with cinnamon. Limit ham, sausage, and eggs, though; they’re high in saturated fat and, in the case of eggs, cholesterol. Avoid commercial pastries, croissants, and muffins; they tend to be high in sugar, fat, and calories.

1-1/2 cups broccoli, chopped (see note)

1/4 cup celery, diced

1/4 cup onion, chopped

1 cup chicken broth, unsalted

2 cups skim milk

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

1/4 tsp. salt

Dash pepper

Dash ground thyme

1/4 cup Swiss cheese, shredded

1.  Place vegetables and broth in saucepan. Bring to boiling, reduce heat, cover, and cook until vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes.

2.  Mix milk, cornstarch, salt, pepper, and thyme; add to cooked vegetables. Cook, stirring constantly, until soup is slightly thickened and mixture just begins to boil.

3.  Remove from heat. Add cheese and stir until melted.

Calories – 110

Total fat – 3 grams

Sodium – 252 mg