A Guide to Good Nutrition - Take Heart

You are not alone if your blood-cholesterol level is higher than it should be. Many people have levels that are higher than desirable for a healthy heart. It is important to bring the levels down, but how can you do this while following your special diet for dialysis?

Most people can lower their high blood-cholesterol level by changing the way they eat. This doesn't mean giving up all the foods you are eating now. Instead, you can learn to prepare foods in new ways, and eat some foods less often and in smaller amounts. Here's what you need to know.

The best way to lower your blood cholesterol level is to:

Eat less foods high in fat.
Eat less saturated fat.
Eat less cholesterol
Maintain a healthy body weight.

This is the most important diet change you can make when your cholesterol is high. You will need to cut down on eating high-fat foods and eat more low-fat choices. When you eat less fat in your diet, you eat less saturated fat and fewer calories. Replace high-fat foods with similar low-fat foods. Use fewer spreads, dressings, or sauces. Find a few substitutes that work for you.

Below are some tips on menu planning to lower the fat in your diet. Choose the ones you will try:

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Proteins
Fats
Dairy Foods
Breads and Cereals

Eating Away From Home
Eat Foods Low In Saturated Fat
Eat Less Cholesterol
Reduce Your Weight To A Healthy Level
The Choice Is Yours

Proteins:

Just eat the amount of animal protein foods that you need to keep your muscle in good shape. That will help limit the fat found in protein foods. Ask your nutritionist for guidelines on how much protein to eat. Check those you will try:

Choose lean cuts of meat with the fat trimmed, such as:

Beef - round, sirloin, chuck, loin

Lamb - leg, arm, loin, rib

Pork - tenderloin, leg (fresh), shoulder (arm or picnic)

Veal - all trimmed cuts except ground

Choose lean or extra lean ground meat

Use chicken and turkey more often. They contain less fat than beef and pork. Remove skin from chicken and turkey to reduce their fat. Stay away from fried chicken or chicken with gravy or sauces. Avoid self-basting turkeys that use butter or oil.

Use fish and shellfish more often. They contain less fat than meat.

Use cooking methods that help remove fat such as baking, broiling, roasting, and stewing. Let the fat drip away from meats as they cook.

Use canned tuna packed in water not oil.

Refrigerate soups, gravies, stews, etc.; then skim off the fat.

Fats:

Use a small amount of fat for frying such as one teaspoon per serving, or try a non-stick pan spray. Avoid deep frying.

Use a small amount of regular or light margarine on bread, or low-fat yogurt instead of sour cream on your baked potato.

Try herbs and spices instead of high-fat sauces to enhance the flavor of cooked vegetables.

Try a low-fat salad dressing or marinade on salads.

Cut down on mayonnaise or try a new low-fat mayonnaise spread.

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