Cholesterol by the Numbers

Cholesterol by the Numbers


Micheline Vargas, DrPH, RCEP
Research Scientist, Nutrition Investigations

Elevated cholesterol is associated with an increased risk of heart disease. So, what is a healthy cholesterol level and what can you do to improve it? The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) guidelines can help. The goal of these guidelines is decreasing total and LDL cholesterol levels while maintaining or increasing your HDL cholesterol level.

Table 1: Cholesterol Classification (mg/dL)

Total CholesterolLDL CholesterolHDL Cholesterol
Desirable = <>Optimal = < optimal ="">High (good) = ≥ 60
Borderline High = 200–239Borderline High = 130–159
High = 160–189		Low (poor) = <>
High = ≥ 240Very High = ≥ 190

If your total and LDL cholesterol levels are too high, smart food choices can help. These include:

  • Consume a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grain, high-fiber foods.
  • Minimize your intake of sugary foods and beverages.
  • Prepare and choose foods with little salt.
  • Eat legumes, lean meats, and poultry without the skin.
  • Replace some animal products with soy protein.
  • Eat fatty fish, such as salmon or tuna, at least twice a week.
  • Choose fat-free or low-fat dairy products.
  • Limit saturated fat and trans-fat intake.

In a healthy, low-cholesterol diet, most of your dietary fat should come from monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These types of fats are found in nuts, seeds, fish, and vegetable oils. In addition, most people should limit cholesterol intake to less than 300 mg a day. If your LDL level is more than 100 mg/dL or if you have heart disease, limit your cholesterol intake to less than 200 mg a day. Then, follow the “Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes” (TLC) Diet created by the NCEP. Table 2 outlines the key components of the TLC Diet.

Table 2: TLC Diet

NutrientRecommendation
Saturated Fat*Less than 7% total calories
Polyunsaturated FatUp to 10% of total calories
Monounsaturated FatUp to 20% of total calories
Total Fat25–35% of total calories
Carbohydrate50–60% of total calories
Fiber20–30 grams per day
ProteinApproximately 15% of total calories
Cholesterol*Less than 200 mg per day
Plant Stanols / Sterols**2 grams
Increased Viscous (soluble) fiber**10–25 grams per day
Total Calories (energy)Balance energy intake and expenditure to prevent weight gain

*LDL-raising nutrients
**Therapeutic options for LDL-lowering

Certain supplements and foods may also help lower your cholesterol when added to a healthy diet. These include isolated garlic compounds, oats, flaxseed, fish oils, calcium, and magnesium. Remember, by learning to make smart choices you can enjoy flavorful foods and manage your cholesterol at the same time!

Micheline Vargas, DrPH, RCEP
Nutrilite Health Institute
Research Scientist, Nutrition Investigations
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Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Cholesterol-cutting Nutrition Tips

Cholesterol-cutting Nutrition Tips


Lisa Kirkman, M.S., R.D.
Amway Global Health Instructor

Research shows that almost half of North American adults, over the age of 20, have high cholesterol.1 It has been shown that the simple act of eating a healthy diet can help you lower your cholesterol and maintain healthy cholesterol levels. These healthy-eating tips will help you reach your heart-health goals.

Cholesterol-cutting Foods

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Eat your oats. Research suggests the soluble fiber (beta glucan) found in oats may help reduce both total cholesterol and the “bad” LDL cholesterol.2 If you're not a fan of oatmeal, try oat cereal or an oat bran muffin.

Sprinkle some flaxseeds. Flaxseeds contain lignan and soluble fiber, which may help block the formation of LDL cholesterol and help your body get rid of cholesterol.3 Flaxseeds’ mildly nutty flavor is a complement to salads, cereal, yogurt, and homemade breads or muffins.

Snack on nuts. Nuts are high in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, which may help lower LDL cholesterol.4 Almonds, walnuts, and cashews are rich sources of monounsaturated fats and can be eaten as snacks, sprinkled on salads, and added to your oatmeal, cereal, or yogurt.

Sneak in some soy. Many people think soy is only for serious vegetarians, but it's actually an excellent source of complete protein for everyone. Soy also contains healthful compounds that may help reduce total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol.5 Try making a fruit smoothie with frozen fruit, vanilla soy milk, and a soy-based protein powder; also try snacking on soy nuts or sneaking tofu into soups, chili, or lasagna.

Nutrilite Protein Powder w/Soy Isoflavones- http://jwaller.qhealthbeauty.com/products/product.aspx?itemno=A7451

Focus on fish. The American Heart Association recommends eating fatty fish – such as salmon, albacore tuna, mackerel, lake trout, herring, and sardines – at least twice a week to promote heart health. If you don’t like fish, consider taking a high-quality fish oil supplement containing one to three grams of omega-3 fatty acids.

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Get some garlic. Garlic may help reduce total and LDL cholesterol.6 If you’re not up for eating one to two cloves daily, consider a garlic supplement containing allicin, garlic’s active compound.

Garlic Health Supplement - W/Out all the Garlic leftover taste and smell. - http://jwaller.qhealthbeauty.com/products/product.aspx?itemno=A5923

Sip some green tea. Green tea has been shown to lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol while raising your “good” HDL cholesterol.7 But, much of this research is based on the amount of tea consumed in Asian countries – three cups a day. If you don't drink a lot of green tea, a supplement containing green tea extracts and its active compounds – theaflavins and catechins – may help.

Heart Healthy Alternatives

Certain foods can contribute to high cholesterol if eaten on a regular basis. While forbidding foods is never a good idea, a successful strategy is finding healthier alternatives to most of these cholesterol-promoting foods.

Instead of This …Choose This …
2% or whole milk1% or fat-free milk
Yellow cheeseLow-fat mozzarella cheese
Whole eggsTwo egg whites with one yolk or egg substitute
Beef or dark meatWhite meat chicken or turkey
Fried foodsBaked, broiled, or steamed foods
Regular mayonnaiseCanola oil- or olive oil-based mayonnaise
Butter or margarineOlive oil- based “margarine” spread (such as Olivio)
Sour creamLow-fat or fat-free sour cream
Cream cheeseLow-fat or fat-free cream cheese, natural peanut butter, or almond butter
Chips, crackers, and cookiesWhole grain snacks that are low-fat and trans-fat free such as popcorn, whole grain crackers, nuts, trans-fat free meal replacement or snack bars
Fried fishBaked or broiled salmon, lake trout, mackerel, and albacore tuna

Gradual Changes Win the Race

Don’t change your entire diet overnight. Make one dietary change at a time and move forward gradually. Changes are more likely to become permanent if they're done at a slow, comfortable pace – just don’t lose focus. The more heart-healthy lifestyle changes you make, the greater positive impact it will have on your cholesterol and your overall health.

Lisa Kirkman, M.S., R.D.

Amway Global Health Instructor

1 americanheart.org
2 Oat [beta ]-glucan lowers total and LDL-cholesterol. Sylvia Pomeroy, Richard Tupper, Marja Cehun-Aders, Paul Nestel. Australian Journal of Nutrition and Dietetics. March 2001 v58 i1 p51(5).
3 “Flaxseed.” Greg Annussek. and Rebecca J. Frey, PhD. The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine. Ed. Jacqueline L. Longe. 2nd ed. Detroit: Gale, 2005. 4 vols. Updated July 1, 2006.
4 Oh (Nutritious) Nuts! Harvard Health Commentaries. Jan 3, 2007 pNA.
5 Soy isoflavones lower serum total and LDL cholesterol in humans: a meta-analysis of 11 randomized controlled trials. Kyoko Taku, Keizo Umegaki, Yoko Sato, Yuko Taki, Kaori Endoh, Shaw Watanabe. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. April 2007 v85 i4 p1148(9).
6 “Garlic.” Patience Paradox. and Teresa G. Odle. The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine. Ed. Jacqueline L. Longe. 2nd ed. Detroit: Gale, 2005. 4 vols. Updated July 1, 2006.
7 “Green tea.” Paula Ford-Martin. and Teresa G. Odle. The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine. Ed. Jacqueline L. Longe. 2nd ed. Detroit: Gale, 2005. 4 vols. Updated July 1, 2006.
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Combating Heart Disease

Heart disease is a serious health danger: It's the single leading cause of death for Americans. But what causes it, and how can you help prevent it? In this issue of Wellness Wire get the whole story on cholesterol from Dr. Duke – learn what it is and how to fight back. Then, find out how making simple dietary changes and eating certain foods can help lower your cholesterol and improve your overall health. Plus, discover the safe and effective way to return to exercise after an illness or injury setback.

Please email me at jackyeluv@gmail.com and I will forward over the full article.
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The Six Elements of Self-Esteem Building

To perform at your best and to feel terrific about yourself, you should be in a perpetual state of self-esteem building and maintenance. Just as you take responsibility for your level of physical fitness, you need to take complete responsibility for the content and quality of your mind.

There is a simple formula that contains all the critical elements of self-esteem building, and you can use it on a regular basis to assure maximum performance.

This formula is comprised of six basic elements. They are: goals, standards, success experiences, comparison with others, recognition, and rewards. Let’s take them one at a time.

The first Element: How much you like and respect yourself is directly affected by your goals. The very act of setting big, challenging goals for yourself and making written plans of action to achieve them actually raises your self-esteem, which causes you to feel much better about yourself.

Self-esteem is a condition you experience when you are moving step-by-step toward the accomplishment of something that is important to you. For that reason, it’s really important to have clear goals for each part of your life and to continually work toward achieving those goals. Each progressive step causes your self-esteem to go up and makes you feel more positive and effective in everything else you do.

The second element in self-esteem building is having clear standards and values to which you are committed. Men and women with high self-esteem are very clear about what they believe in. The higher your values and ideals are, and the more committed you are to living your life consistent with those values and ideals, the more you will like and respect yourself, and the higher your self-esteem will be.

Lasting self-esteem comes ! only whe n your goals and your values are congruent-that is, when they fit into each other like a hand into a glove. Much of the stress that people experience comes from believing one thing and trying to do another. But when your goals and values are in harmony with each other, you feel a wonderful surge of energy and well-being, and that’s when you start to make real progress.

Many people say that they are unhappy with their career because they can’t seem to achieve success no matter how hard they try. Ask them if they are doing what they really care about and believe in. In many cases, people realize that they are not happy with their careers because it is the wrong kind of work for them. Once they change careers and start doing something that they really enjoy, something that is more consistent with their innermost convictions, they start to make real progress and get a lot of satisfaction out of their work.

The third element in self-esteem building involves having success experiences. Once you have set your goals and standards, it is important that you make them measurable so that you can keep score of your small and large successes along the way. The very act of setting up a goal, breaking it down into smaller parts, and then completing those parts makes you feel like a winner and causes your self-esteem to go up. But remember that you can’t hit a target you can’t see. You can’t feel like a winner unless you clearly lay out the standards by which you are going to measure your success and then achieve those standar! ds.
Let’s say that you set a goal to develop a certain amount of business or earn a certain amount of income in a given year. If you break that down into monthly and weekly goals, and then you achieve the first of those goals, you will feel great about yourself. Each time you reach another milestone, your self-esteem and ability to perform will increase, and you will feel encouraged and enthusiastic about the next challenge.!

The fourth element of self-esteem is comparison with others. Leon Festinger of Harvard University concluded that in determining how well we are doing, we do not compare ourselves with abstract standards, but, rather, we compare ourselves with people we know. To feel like a winner, you must know for sure that you are doing as well as or better than someone else. The more you know about how well the others in your field are doing, and the more favorably you compare with them, the more you will feel like a winner, and the higher your self-esteem will be.

Successful people continually compare themselves with other successful people. They think about them and read about them and study their performances, and then they work to surpass them one step at a time. Eventually, successful people reach the point where they compete only with themselves and with their past accomplishments. But this comes after they have moved to the top and left many of their competitors behind.

The fith element for self-esteem is recognition of your accomplishments by people whom you respect. To feel really great about yourself, you need the recognition of people you look up to and admire, such as your mentors, your coworkers, your spouse and people in your social circle.

Whenever you are recognized and praised for any accomplishment by someone whose opinion you hold in high regard, your self-esteem goes up, along with your eagerness and enthusiasm to do even better on the job.

The final element of self-esteem involves rewards that are consistent wit! h your a ccomplishments. You may work in a field where you receive financial bonuses, status symbols-larger offices, bigger cars-or even plaques and trophies for superior achievement. All of those symbols can have an incredible impact on raising your self-esteem and causing you to feel terrific about yourself.

For other articles like this and more positive input


Darrell Boyko
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