The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Association developed and launched the National Cholesterol Education Program---NCEP---in 1985. The goal of the program is to use dietary intervention to lower cholesterol levels and help lower the incidence of coronary heart disease---CHD. Stage one of the diet limits total fat intake to 30 percent of total calories, saturated fat to less than 10 percent of fat calories and cholesterol to 300 mg per day. Stage two of the diet intensifies these guidelines to bring cholesterol levels down.
Diet Guidelines
Stage two diet calls for limiting your saturated fat intake to less than 7 percent. Your total fat intake remains at less than 30 percent, but you should cook with plant oils to help reduce your cholesterol level. Olive oil has been shown to reduce total and LDL cholesterol levels, while increasing HDL or good cholesterol levels. Your recommended total cholesterol intake needs to be lower than 200 mg per day, according to NCEP.
Who Needs Stage Two
Stage two diet is recommended for all persons who follow stage one, if their total cholesterol remains above 240 mg/dL of blood or they have had a heart attack.
Eating and Cooking
To stay within the NCEP guidelines for stage two, you will need to make necessary adjustments to cooking and shopping. First, trim off all visible fat from all meats and remove skin from chicken and turkey. Use plant oils such as olive oil when cooking and for salad dressings. According to HeartPoint.com, limit meat servings to three to four cooked ounces. This helps to reduce your saturated fat and cholesterol intake. Reduce your portion size of fatty foods and eat them less often. Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables. Switch to egg whites versus whole eggs. Limit your intake of organ meats to once per month. Finally, switch to low-fat for packaged foods. The fat intake needs to be less than 3 grams of fat per serving.
Special Recommendations
The stage two diet also recommends using plant sterols, stanols and fiber to help lower your cholesterol levels. Not only do you need to incorporate lower fat and cholesterol intakes, but increasing certain plant nutrients helps to reduce your cholesterol levels as well. Plant sterols and stanols help your body absorb less cholesterol from the food you eat. By reducing the amount of cholesterol absorbed, your body will use cholesterol in your body to produce hormones and provide other bodily functions. NCEP recommends 2 g of plant sterols and stanols per day. You are recommended to eat 10 to 25 g of soluble fiber from oats, whole grains, oatmeal, brown rice, quinoa and barley per day. Soluble fiber helps to lower your cholesterol by binding it like plant sterols and stanols. Also, filling up on high fiber foods reduces your intake of high fat foods, which promotes lower cholesterol levels as well.
TLC Diet
The National Heart, Lung and Blood Association developed the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes, or TLC, diet program for persons who are considered high risk or have cardiovascular disease. This diet program involves more lifestyle management and is considered the "next generation" from the stage two diet. This diet is recommended for persons with diabetes, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, high triglycerides and high cholesterol. This diet stresses engaging in physical activity most days of the week. You are to burn 200 calories or more to promote weight loss and alter cholesterol levels.
