DOCTOR IS IN: Controlling your cholesterol

BY CHERYL WILLIAMS, RD, LD

Clinical Nutritionist, Emory Heart & Vascular Center, Emory HeartWise Cardiac Risk Reduction Program

If you’re a healthy weight and exercise regularly, you probably don’t think you need to worry about your cholesterol, right? Wrong.

While it is a fact that diet and exercise play crucial roles in controlling cholesterol, eating too many fatty foods – especially those high in saturated fat and trans fat – is the primary cause of high cholesterol. Thin, active people may not be aware of how much bad fat they consume.

Saturated fats are derived primarily from animal products and are known to raise cholesterol levels. They are found in common foods like butter, cheese, whole milk, pork and red meat. Lower-fat versions of these foods usually contain saturated fats, but typically in smaller quantities than the regular versions. Certain plant oils, like palm and coconut oils, are another source of saturated fats. You may not use these oils when you cook, but they are often added to commercially baked foods, such as cookies, cakes, doughnuts and pies.

Even more detrimental to cholesterol levels are trans fats, artificially created during food processing when liquid oils are converted into solid fats — a process called hydrogenation. Many fried restaurant foods and commercially baked goods contain trans fats, as well as vegetable shortening and stick margarine. Read labels and avoid foods that contain partially or fully hydrogenated oils.

Fats found in nuts, fish and vegetables are far healthier choices for your heart. Choose polyunsaturated fats like soy products, corn oil, safflower and sunflower oil. And eating monounsaturated fats, including olive oil and almonds, as well as fatty fish like salmon that contain essential fatty acids, can actually help reduce total cholesterol levels.

September is National Cholesterol Month. Make it a priority to know your cholesterol levels and learn how what you eat can impact cholesterol and your heart’s health. Since diets high in saturated fat and trans fat have been linked to chronic disease, specifically, heart disease, this knowledge could save your life.

More Tips to Lower Saturated & Trans Fat Consumption:

Limit red meat to 2 servings per month and focus on lean varieties like round cuts and sirloin cuts. Trim all visible fat off meats before eating.

Choose fat-free/low-fat dairy (1% milk, low-fat cheese) and low-fat snacks.

Use low-fat spreads instead of butter. Most margarine spreads contain less saturated fat than butter. Look for a spread that is low in saturated fat and doesn’t contain trans fats.

Remove skin from chicken, turkey, and other poultry before cooking.

Choose baked goods, snacks, and desserts that are low in saturated fat. Choose instead to have low-fat yogurt and a piece of fruit.

When re-heating soups or stews, skim the solid fats from the top before heating.

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