The TLC diet is a heart-healthy diet that was formulated by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to help people control their cholesterol levels. TLC stands for Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes, which is exactly what this diet does. This diet is not a quick-fix diet but a lifelong program to ensure you change your bad habits and lower your cholesterol at the same time.
Cholesterol is a substance that is produced in the body and is used to help make hormones, digest foods, and synthesize vitamin D. The body creates all of the cholesterol that is needed to help generate these things but an unhealthy lifestyle can lead to higher cholesterol levels than are healthy.
Excess cholesterol can damage your arteries by mixing with blood and particles to create a plaque around the inside of the vessels leading to a build-up in the arteries, causing them to narrow and become blocked.
There is a substance called lipoprotein which carries cholesterol through your body. These lipoproteins come in two varieties called low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL). LDL is better known as the bad cholesterol which is the one you want to reduce and HDL is the good cholesterol which you aim to raise, which is where the TLC diet comes in.
It is important to note that both LDL and HDL are essential to our health. LDL only becomes ‘bad’ when it exceeds the normal range, which is almost always due to lifestyle factors, especially diet.
The Aim of The TLC Diet
The TLC diet’s main goal is to reduce the risk of heart disease by maintaining a healthy weight, eating healthy and exercising regularly. The diet spotlights foods that are high in HDL which are good fats and low in natural cholesterol and saturated fats which are not needed.
To lower LDL levels there are a few key points to aim for daily whilst on the TLC diet. These are:
- Less than 7% of your calories from saturated fats
- Less than 200 milligrams of dietary cholesterol (chose lean meat and low-fat dairy)
- 25 – 35 percent of daily calories from total fat (this includes saturated fat calories)
- Only eat enough calories to maintain a healthy weight
- 30 mins per day of moderate-intensity physical activity (walking, hiking)
- 2 grams per day of plant stanols or sterols (for extra LDL lowering)
- 10 – 15 grams per day of soluble fiber (for extra LDL lowering)
Learning how to read the nutritional facts label, usually located on the back of your food packaging, is vital when on the TLC diet as it will give you the exact number of grams per serving of fats and calories.
Dietary Fats
The first principle of the TLC diet is to reduce the amount of fat you consume. The goal with the first step is that the total amount of fat that you consume should not exceed 35 percent of the total calories for your daily intake. Avoiding bad fats in this percentage is ideal. Foods to be avoided that contain including saturated and trans fats are found in the following examples of foods:
- Fatty cuts of meat (aim for lean meats)
- Whole milk dairy
- Fried foods
- Sweets
There are a variety of foods that contain beneficial fats that should not be avoided as they will help to lower your LDL levels. Up to 20 percent of your daily calories can come from monounsaturated fats and 10 percent from polyunsaturated fats.
Monounsaturated fats sources include avocados, peanut butter, and plant-based oils whilst polyunsaturated fats come from foods such as salmon, pumpkin seeds and corn oil. These polyunsaturated fats are only to be eaten in moderation as they can lower HDL levels which you do not want.
Protein Foods
Around 20 percent of your daily intake of calories should be protein foods. While many protein sources also contain saturated fats and high cholesterol levels, there are healthy alternatives to just lean meat and low-fat dairy. Some of these are soy products, lentils and seeds. There are a variety of delicious healthy recipes that can be made with these foods.
The TLC diet recommends that 50 – 60 percent of your daily calories come from healthy carbohydrates. Choose carbohydrates sources that are high in fiber as the diet calls for 20 – 30 grams of fiber per day. These can include foods like beans, quinoa, vegetables, and whole grains. Try to avoid foods that are highly processed.
Don’t Forget to Exercise
Exercise and physical activity is a large part of the TLC diet as it will help you to lose weight, keep fit and help to prevent future health issues including heart disease and diabetes. These conditions are closely linked to high cholesterol levels.
Walking is a great way to start your exercise plan and you can gradually increase the intensity and distance to improve fitness and lose extra weight. Other worthwhile activities to try include dancing, cycling ,and hiking.
To begin the TLC diet you will need to go to your healthcare professional to have your cholesterol levels assessed. Based on the results your doctor may recommend you start on the TLC diet. You will then have periodic appointments with your doctor to track your cholesterol levels and assess your progress in the diet.
