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Heart Disease can often be prevented by changing lifestyle-related risk factors such as diet, physical inactivity, being overweight, stress and smoking.
The higher your blood cholesterol level, then the higher your risk of heart disease. It has been recognised for years that LDL or "bad" cholesterol is associated with increased risk of heart disease, while HDL or "good" cholesterol has a protective role in heart disease.
Triglyceride is another "fat" in your blood, and high levels encourage LDL or "bad" cholesterol to build up in the blood vessels
High cholesterol can gradually clog the blood vessels with plaque. Once plaque starts to form, it can rapidly build up and block blood vessels. This can reduce the blood flow to the heart and lead to a heart attack.
Your blood lipid levels should be made up of the following to maintain a healthy body:
Most Australians consume more fat than their body needs. Some individuals may develop high blood cholesterol levels while on high fat, high cholesterol diets. As there are no warning signs, the only way to find out if your cholesterol level is high is to have it checked by your medical practitioner. The best way to reduce your blood cholesterol level is to decrease your intake of saturated fat and limit your intake of high cholesterol foods, and have a variety of high fibre, low-fat healthy foods in your diet.
Dietary fat plays an important role in the development of heart disease. There are three major sources of fat in our diets:
There are three different types of fat found in food - saturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. These different types of fat have different effects on blood cholesterol.
Saturated fats: are usually hard at room temperature and are mostly of animal origin such meat fat and full cream diary foods (full cream milk, full cream yoghurt, butter, cream). Some vegetable oils (coconut and palm oil) used in commercial biscuits and cakes are also rich in saturated fat and generally cheaper than the other fats. As a result, many processed foods are high in saturated fat. Limit your intake of saturated fat because it has the ability to raise cholesterol level.
Monounsaturated fat: are usually liquid at room temperature. Good sources are olive and canola oils and some margarines. Other sources include avocados and nuts.
Polyunsaturated fats: are mostly liquid oils such as sunflower, safflower, corn, grapeseed or soybean oils and soft margarine. Omega-3 fats, found in fish, have a cholesterol lowering effect and may protect against heart disease.
Note: Use monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats in small amounts in preference to saturated fats because they help to lower total cholesterol and LDL. All fats and oils should be used in small amounts as they are all high in energy (kilojoules or calories).
Cholesterol is only found in foods from animal sources eg. meat fat, egg yolks, shellfish, offal meat and full cream dairy products. A food can be high in fat, yet have no cholesterol such as avocado or vegetable oils. Conversely, a food can be high in cholesterol, yet low in fat, such as prawns and egg yolks.
Triglycerides are found in plant and animal products. Diets containing large amounts of fat, sugar and alcohol can influence your blood triglycerides level. Here are some tips to control your blood triglyceride levels:
The chemical name for salt is sodium chloride. Sodium in the salt can contribute to high blood pressure in some people. By reducing the amount of salt you eat, you can help reduce the risk of high blood pressure. Our body needs only small amounts of sodium (about one-tenth of a teaspoon of salt) but the average Australian eats the equivalent of two teaspoons of salt each day. Salt is found naturally in fresh foods like fruits, vegetables and cereals, lean meat, fish and chicken. Eating a balanced diet, including a variety of these foods, will make sure your body gets all the salt it needs.
Where does the salt we eat come from?
Note: it is recommended that we have 1500-2000mg of sodium a day (this is equivalent to 1 teaspoon of salt).
Bread and cereals are high carbohydrate, low fat foods. If you choose the wholegrain variety, they are a good source of dietary fibre which may help to lower your blood cholesterol. In general terms, eating more carbohydrate foods leaves less room for fat.
If you are trying to lose weight you may need to limit your intake of bread and cereals to 4-5 per day.
1 serve bread or cereal is equivalent to:
Fruits provide soluble fibre and are a major source of Vitamin C. All fruits contain natural sugar (fructose), but some have more than others. If you have elevated triglyceride levels or are trying to lose weight, keep to the recommended intake of 2-3 serves fruit a day.
Note: it is better to eat fresh fruit than to drink ½ glass of fruit juice (100%) because a fresh fruit has added advantages of containing natural fibre.
Most vegetables are low in fat. They are good sources of dietary fibre and contain vitamins and minerals necessary for a balanced diet. Some vegetables are more starchy than others and they are included as substitutes for bread/
1 serve starchy vegetable is equivalent to:
Note: avoid vegetables prepared or served with added cream, butter, margarine, cheese, oil or coconut milk. This includes fried vegetables, potato chips and crisps.
These foods give you protein, energy, vitamins and minerals, and are the most important source of calcium. Calcium is important for building strong bones and teeth, for blood clotting, passing messages along the nerves and for relaxation and contraction and beating of the heart. All age groups need calcium. A diet which includes 2-3 serves of milk or diary products will meet the recommended intake of calcium.
1 serve of dairy products is equivalent to:
Protein foods include meat, chicken, fish, nuts, eggs and legumes. These foods are also good sources of iron and zinc. Legumes are low in fat, but other protein foods contain varying amounts of fat.
Beef, lamb, pork, veal, rabbit, chicken, duck and turkey contain some saturated fat and cholesterol, therefore only a moderate intake of them is recommended. ALWAYS trim the fat off meat and remove the skin and fat from poultry before cooking.
Fish contains varying amounts of fat including polyunsaturated fat and some cholesterol. Omega-3 fat or "fish oil" has beneficial effects on the heart and eating fish 2-3 times per week may help to protect your heart.
Nuts: Most nuts are high fat foods containing monounsaturated fats.
Eggs: Egg yolk is the richest dietary source of cholesterol. If your blood cholesterol is over 4.0mmol/l then limit yourself to 2-3 eggs per week.
Legumes (lentils, dried beans, lima beans, chick peas etc) are low in fat and a good source of dietary fibre. They can provide an excellent alternative to meat dishes.
Note: To decrease your overall intake of saturated fat and cholesterol, AVOID/LIMIT animal fat, lard, bacon, sausages, continental sausages, canned meats, fatty mince meat, rolled roast, fatty ham, mutton, poultry skin, processed meat such as sandwich ham, salami, processed chicken or turkey.