TLC Diet

The National Institutes of Health developed the TLC (Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes) Diet to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke and lower cholesterol levels. The key of TLC diet is reducing fat, especially saturated fat (high-fat meats, low-fat dairy, fried foods) that raise bad cholesterol and increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. Along with strict cholesterol restriction and higher fiber intake, combined with 30 minutes of physical activity a day, TLC can help people lower cholesterol levels without usually requiring medication.

You can start the TLC Diet by choosing your target calorie level. If shed pound is your sole goal, target 1200-1600 calories for men and 1000-1200 calories for women daily. Then you should get less than 7% of your daily calories from saturated fat, less than 200 mg of cholesterol; 25-35% of calories from total fat (including calories from saturated fat); 10-25 g of soluble fiber. Maintain enough calories to reach your desired goals. According to the NIH, if you lose 10 pounds, you’ll decrease your LDL by 5% to 8% – a double bonus for your efforts. It's relatively easy, but requires some motivation to maintain. Whether the TLC diet is easy or not depends on your ability to keep track of what you eat. You can search for a guidebook online like 'The TLC Diet's Guide to Lowering Cholesterol' and 'The Complete Idiot's Guide to the TLC Diet', including recipes cook.