When your doctor sends you to a laboratory for a blood cholesterol test, the results reflect a combination of the cholesterol you produce in your liver and other body cells, plus cholesterol you eat in your everyday meals. Although you can't change the amount of cholesterol produced in your body, a heart-healthy cardiac diet does limit the amount of cholesterol you eat each day.
Expert Insight
The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute developed guidelines for diet called Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes, or TLC diet, to help control cholesterol intake for individuals with and without cardiac conditions. Eat only the calories you need to maintain a healthy weight, and keep your cholesterol intake below 200 mg per day. Limit your total fat intake to between 25 and 35 percent of your daily calories, and reduce your saturated fat intake to less than 7 percent of your total calories.
Goals
If you're on a cardiac diet, you should aim for optimal cholesterol control to avoid further cardiovascular problems, including heart failure, high blood pressure, heart failure or stroke. Set your diet and exercise goals to achieve a total blood cholesterol that's less than 200 mg/dL; an LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, level below 100 mg/dL and an HDL, or "good" cholesterol, level above 60 mg/dL.
Cholesterol Sources
When following a cardiac diet, limit cholesterol intake from animal products, including meat, poultry, fish, dairy products and eggs. An 8-oz. cup of whole milk provides 24 mg of cholesterol. A 3-oz. beef tenderloin steak contains 82 mg of cholesterol, even when you trim it to 1/8-inch fat and broil it. If you eat the raw meat from a Dungeness crab, you'll add 97 mg of cholesterol, or almost half of your daily limit. A large fried egg delivers 184 mg of cholesterol, almost your entire day's allotment.
Considerations
A diet high in saturated or trans fats increases your blood cholesterol, while a high-fiber diet helps to lower the amount of cholesterol in your blood and lowers your cardiac risk factors. Choose heart-healthy cooking methods, such as grilling, baking, steaming or broiling, to keep your cholesterol count down. Fruits, vegetables and grains high in soluble fiber help lower your blood cholesterol. Replace meats and other animal products with cholesterol-free legumes, such as lentils or dried beans, once or twice a week. Select whole-grain pastas, cereals, breads and other baked goods that reduce the amount of cholesterol in your blood.
