The TLC diet -- therapeutic lifestyle changes -- is an eating plan created by the National Cholesterol Education Program to lower your LDL cholesterol levels, thus reducing your risk of developing heart disease. The American Heart Association fully endorses and recommends the TLC diet for people whose LDL is above the target level.
History of NCEP
The NCEP is the brainchild of the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, created in 1985 to increase awareness about the dangers of high cholesterol and how it relates to heart disease. The primary goal of the NCEP is to educate both the general public and physicians with the hope of decreasing high cholesterol and the risk of developing coronary heart disease. During this process, the Adult Treatment Panel was formed. This expert panel sets guidelines, such as healthy levels and the foods necessary to achieve them, and it created the TLC diet.
Creation of the TLC Diet
The ATP regularly revises and updates information to meet the health needs of society; the formation of what is now the TLC diet is a result of this. The American Heart Association explains that prior to the TLC diet, the terms "Step I" and "Step II" diet were common. In May 2001, the ATP revised these eating plans in its third report, which addresses the detection, prevention and treatment of high cholesterol.
TLC Diet at a Glance
The diet provides you with balanced nutrition, but moderates the good and the bad. Calories are important; they provide you with energy. However, you must limit them to either maintain a healthy weight or reverse obesity.
Fats should not constitute more than 25 to 35 percent of your total daily calories. Limit saturated fats such as red meat, whole-fat dairy and egg yolks to 7 percent. Healthy fats such as mono- and polyunsaturated can make up to 30 percent of your daily total. Limit your cholesterol intake to 200 mg per day.
Protein, an energy source, comes from 15 percent of your calories. Carbohydrate is the largest dietary contributor -- 50 to 60 percent.
Examples
Eat six to 11 servings of carbohydrates a day, preferably whole grains or high-fiber foods. Cereals such as oatmeal can help lower your cholesterol. They absorb both LDL and total cholesterol in your intestines, flushing it from your body. Whole-wheat pasta and brown rice are a healthy alternative to their refined-sugar counterparts.
Aim for three to five servings each of fruits and vegetables a day, eating them in place of high-fat desserts such as ice cream, candy and cakes. This reduces your fat intake.
Two to three servings a day of nonfat dairy products is fine, but make sure they contain less than 3 g of fat per ounce, Diet.com explains.
Choose lean protein sources such as skinless turkey or chicken, and fish such as cod, tuna, salmon or halibut. Limit your daily intake to 5 oz each day. Substitute egg whites for egg yolks as well.
Talk to a Registered Dietitian
A registered dietitian can devise an eating plan for you based on your specific needs, taking the confusion of a new diet away. She can give you recipes based on your likes and dislikes, making it easier for you to adhere to this diet and improve your health.
References
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: National Cholesterol Education Program
- MayoClinic.com: Cholesterol Levels: What Numbers Should You Aim For?
- American Heart Association: Step I, Step II and TLC Diets
- Diet.com: TLC Diet
- HealthCastle.com; TLC Diet: A Diet for High Cholesterol Disease Recommended By AHA; Gloria Tsang, R.D.
