Dialog

Volume 13, Issue 1, Winter 2012
Living with Diabetes  
You are a key player on your health care team when it comes to managing your diabetes.
 

Diet changes may help lower cholesterol level

Eating a combination of fruits and vegetables can help you manage your cholesterol.

Making good food choices

Meats: Eat no more than four to seven ounces of fish, poultry or lean meat every day. Try to include some meat-free meals in your weekly diet.

Soy: Using 26 to 50 grams of soy in place of animal protein each day can help lower your cholesterol.

Dairy products: Eat two to three servings of nonfat or low-fat dairy products every day.

Fats and oils: Eat no more than three to six teaspoons of fats and oils each day (one serving is equal to five grams of fat). Saturated fats and trans fats promote plaque formation.

Eggs: An occasional egg (one egg yolk) for breakfast may not be of concern. Take out all but one yolk per serving from the scrambled eggs or omelet dish you are making. Use cholesterol-free egg products when making egg meals more often.

Fruits and vegetables: Eat at least 1 cup each of fruits and vegetables every day.

Starches, grains (breads) and legumes: Eat four to 10 ounces every day. Choose whole grain products. One ounce is generally one-half cup cooked product. Try to eat 25 grams or more of fiber each day.

Cholesterol is a fat-like substance in your blood. Your body makes some cholesterol to help it function properly. You may also get cholesterol from some of the foods you eat and you may inherit a tendency toward high cholesterol.

When too much LDL (the “bad” cholesterol) builds up on your artery walls, plaque forms and blocks blood flow in vessels leading to your heart, legs and brain. This can cause heart disease, peripheral vascular disease and strokes.

Cholesterol goals

The American Diabetes Association recommends:

  • LDL — 99 or less
  • HDL (sometimes called “good” cholesterol because it helps reduce LDL cholesterol) — 40 or higher for men and 50 or higher for women
  • triglycerides (the form in which energy is stored in your fat cells) — 150 or less
  • total cholesterol — 200 or less.

You can lower your LDL cholesterol and triglycerides and raise your HDL cholesterol by taking cholesterol-lowering medicine, getting regular exercise and/ or making changes to your diet.

Help control cholesterol with diet changes

You can help control your cholesterol by making changes to your diet. Here are just some of the ways:

  • Eat less fat. You can lower your cholesterol and triglycerides by lowering the fat (butter, margarine, gravy) and fatty foods (lunch meat, french fries, baked goods) you eat.
  • Eat less saturated fat. Animal fats (such as whole milk, cheese or steak) and some vegetable oils (such as palm kernel or coconut) have high amounts of saturated fat. Saturated fat raises your LDL. Limit to less than 12 to 14 grams for women and less than 16 to 18 grams for men each day.
  • Use as little trans fat as possible. Read the ingredients lists on food labels. Avoid products with “partially hydrogenated oil.”
  • Limit cholesterol found in meat, fish, poultry and egg yolks. Use less than 200 milligrams of cholesterol in your diet each day.
  • Lose weight if you need to. No more than 30 percent of your calories should come from fat. Decrease your daily calories and increase exercise to lose weight, lower your cholesterol and lower your LDL.

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Related resources

Foods that may help lower your cholesterol level

Keeping your heart healthy when you have diabetes

Where can I get help in managing my diabetes?


 

Source: Allina Patient Education, Foods That May Help Lower Your Cholesterol Level, dia-ahc-30669; Allina Patient Education, Keeping Your Heart Healthy When You Have Diabetes, dia-ahc-32867

First published: 01/17/2012
Last updated: 01/17/2012

Reviewed by: Mary Frederick, RN, MS, CDE, diabetes program manager, Allina Medical Clinic - Diabetes Education; Dawn McCarter, RN, BSN, CDE, diabetes program coordinator, Allina Medical Clinic - Diabetes Education

 

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