QuestionI have recently been diagnosed with high cholesterol. It is 287. I am 43, 5ft. 2 in. tall, and weigh 106 lbs. I was told to follow a low fat diet. How do I do this? I know I need some fat. How much is to much? I cannot afford to see a nutrtritionist.
AnswerJeannie,
Saturated fats and trans-fatty acids stimulate your liver to produce more cholesterol. Try to limit or avoid saturated fats (animal fats) and trans-fatty acids, also known as "hydrogenated oils" (margarine and fried foods). Liquid oils like olive oil and canola oil are healthier and need not be avoided, but need to be limited a bit so you do not get too many calories in your diet and gain weight.
The basic guideline is to not get more than 7-10% of your daily calories from saturated fat and trans-fat. If you are eating 1500 calories a day (just a guess), then you should be eating about 15 grams or less of saturated and trans-fats a day. Trans-fats are not on food labels so you cannot count them. You will need to become familiar with food labels. Look at the serving size and how many grams of saturated fat are in each serving size. With this information, you can kind of keep track of how much saturated fat you eat.
For more information on diet and cholesterol, go to:
http://home.comcast.net/~lipid-clinic/diet.html
and
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=532
and
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4662
and
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/chd/Tipsheets/readthelabel.htm
Remember, saturated fats and trans-fats (hydrogenated oils) are bad for your cholesterol.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. Jeannie, this may seem foreign to you but if you keep trying to learn, you will get the hang of it and it will all make more sense soon.
Best of luck!
Todd
www.Lipid-Clinic.com
