High Cholesterol

Have your cholesterol levels checked to know your numbers.

Desirable levels are:

Total Cholesterol below 200 mg/dl
HDL above 40 mg/dl
LDL below 100 mg/dl
Triglycerides below 150/dl

Tips to control your cholesterol levels:

Add fiber.
Choose high fiber, low-fat foods whenever possible. All types of fiber are good to add to your diet, but soluble fiber is the best choice to lower cholesterol. Good sources include: oats, beans, barley, sweet potatoes and broccoli. Aim for 10 to 20 grams of soluble fiber per day.

Add Omega-3s.
Eat seafood or “fatty” fish (salmon, trout, herring, sardines, oysters, mackerel, flounder, tuna, and scallops) two to five times a week. Choose foods with heart healthy fats, such as walnuts, soybeans, flaxseed, canola oil, olive oil and walnut oil.

Add phytostanols.
Plant stanol esters reduce absorption of cholesterol from the gut. Aim for 2 grams per day to lower cholesterol. Good sources include: fortified margarines, orange juice, yogurt and breakfast bars.

Read food labels.
Do a little research so you know how much fat you are consuming. Limit your total daily fat intake to 60 grams or less for women, and 75 or less for men. Cut your daily saturated fat to less than 20 grams per day, and as close to 0 trans-fat as possible.

All information on the Heart Healthy by WakeMed portion of the Flavor, NC website is for informational purposes only. The information should not be used in place of a consultation with your physician or other health care provider.  You should always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Click here for more information about WakeMed’s copyright, disclaimer and privacy statements.