What is the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes Diet Plan?

If you have high cholesterol, your chance of developing heart disease greatly increases. However, you can made lifestyle changes that can help protect the health of your heart. The Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes program, or the TLC Program, consists of dietary, physical activity and weight management changes to help lower your blood cholesterol.

The TLC Diet is similar to the Mediterranean diet in that it encourages the consumption of heart-healthy foods, such as lean meats, fruits, vegetables and grains. The Mediterranean Diet is based on a natural lifestyle; whereas, the TLC Diet provides specific limitations in regards to cholesterol, exercise and caloric intake.

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a fatty substance produced by your body. Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, is often referred to as your “bad” cholesterol, and high-levels of this form of cholesterol increase your likelihood of developing heart disease. Whereas, high levels of another form of cholesterol in your body, called high-density lipoprotein, or HDL cholesterol, lower your risk of heart disease.

The TLC Diet

Research indicates that reducing the amount of nutrients you obtain from saturated fat and cholesterol can help lower levels of dangerous LDL cholesterol to help reduce your risk of coronary artery disease, or a build-up of cholesterol-containing plaque in your arteries. The TLC Diet reduces your daily intake of saturated fat to less than seven percent, reduces your total-fat intake to 25 to 35 percent of your daily calories, reduces daily cholesterol by 200 mg as well as encourages the daily intake of 10 to 25 grams of soluble fiber.

A sample 2,500 calorie menu for traditional American cuisine consists of:

Breakfast

Consuming one cup of oatmeal, one cup of fat-free milk, one-fourth of a cup of raisins, an English muffin, two-teaspoons of soft margarine, one tablespoon of jelly, one cup of honeydew melon, one cup of calcium-fortified orange juice and one cup of coffee with two tablespoons of fat-free milk.

Lunch

Consuming a roast beef sandwich on one medium whole-wheat bun with two ounces of lean roast beef, a one-ounce slice of low-fat Swiss cheese, two Romaine lettuce leaves, two medium slices of tomato and two teaspoons of mustard.

Consuming a cup of pasta salad that contains three-fourths a cup of pasta noodles, one-forth a cup mixed vegetables, two teaspoons of olive oil, one medium-sized apple and one cup of unsweetened iced tea.

Dinner

Consuming three ounces of orange roughy cooked in olive oil, one tablespoon of Parmesan cheese, one and a half cups of rice, one-half cup corn kernels with one-teaspoon soft margarine, one-half cup of broccoli with one teaspoon of soft margarine, one small roll with one teaspoon of soft margarine, one cup of strawberries topped with one-half cup low-fat frozen yogurt and one-cup of fat-free milk.

TLC Physical Activity and Weight Management

Adding an exercise regimen to your lifestyle, can help you lose weight and help control levels of cholesterol in your body. Physical activity promotes a healthy weight, lowers levels of LDL and raises levels of HDL cholesterol. The TLC Program recommends performing 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercises on most, if not all, days of the week and consuming only the calories you need to maintain a healthy weight.

The TLC Program can help you reduce cholesterol, lose weight and reduce your risk of coronary artery disease.