American health experts ranked the most popular diets. Based on the ratings, a rating of the most useful diets of our time has been compiled. The honorable third place in it was taken by the TLC diet. It is worth noting that TLC (Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes) – this is a whole program aimed at lowering the level of cholesterol in the blood, which includes, in addition to nutrition, exercise and smoking cessation. Estet-portal.com will tell you what lies at the heart of the dietary component of the TLC program and makes it so attractive in the eyes of specialists.
TLC diet: in the top three healthiest meal plans
Developed by the National Institutes of Health (USA) TLC diet provides the amount of calories needed to maintain ideal body weight. A dietitian determines exactly how many calories a particular person needs to consume each day. Their number varies depending on the following factors:
- gender;
- growth;
- activity level, etc.
The TLC diet aims to reduce the intake of saturated fats, which increase cholesterol levels. This can be achieved by limiting the amount of meat and dairy products in the diet. It is not necessary to completely refuse the use of such food groups – it will be enough to choose the least fatty foods. It is proposed to replace most animal fats with unsaturated fats, especially monounsaturated oils such as olive, canola, or peanut. So you can reduce the level of "bad" and raise the level of "good" cholesterol. Next we'll look at:
- Foods allowed in the TLC diet;
- approximate nutritional recommendations for the TLC diet;
- other features of the TLC diet.
Allowed TLC Diet Foods to Lower Cholesterol
The TLC diet consists of eating certain amounts of different types of foods. Sometimes these amounts of food reflect a certain percentage of the total calories consumed.
- Saturated fat: less than 7% of total calories per day.
- Polyunsaturated fats: up to 10% of total calories per day.
- Monounsaturated fats: up to 20% of total calories per day;
- Carbohydrates: 50% to 60% of total calories per day;
- Soluble fiber: minimum 5 – 10 g per day;
- Cholesterol: less than 200 mg per day;
- Total Calories: Calculated from calories consumed and burned to maintain a healthy weight.
Foods containing trans fats should not be consumed: cookies, snacks and other similar products.
Approximate nutritional recommendations for the TLC diet
|
Product group |
Servings |
Size 1 portion |
|
Lean meats, poultry, fish, beans and peas |
No more than 140 g per day |
· Maximum 140 grams of lean meat, poultry, fish per day · Alternative: ¼ cups of mature beans or peas instead of every 30g of meat. |
|
Eggs |
No more than 2 yolks per week |
1 whole egg. Egg white is available in unlimited quantities. |
|
Milk and low-fat dairy products |
2–3 per day |
· 1 cup fat free milk or 1% fat · 1 cup low-fat or low-fat yogurt · 1 cheese (fat-free or low-fat) (3g or less fat per 30g) |
|
Fruits |
2–4 per day |
· 1 piece of fruit (e.g. an apple, an orange, or half a banana) · ½ canned fruits · 1 cup berries or equivalent melon · ¾ cups of fruit juice |
|
Vegetables |
3–5 per day |
· 1 raw green leafy vegetables · ½ raw or cooked vegetables · ¾ cups of vegetable juice |
|
Bread, cereals, pasta, rice and cereals |
Minimum 6 per day |
· 1 slice of bread · ½ bun · 30 g cold porridge · ½ cups of pasta, rice, noodles or cereals |
|
Sweets and snacks |
Within allowed calories |
Only with unsaturated or low fat fats. |
Other useful information about the TLC diet
To maximize the benefits of the TLC diet, it is recommended that you devote 30 minutes a day (5 days a week) to exercise (the intensity and nature of exercise is ideally determined by your doctor based on your health condition).
It is worth noting that the first task of the TLC diet is not weight loss, but the normalization of blood cholesterol levels. However, studies show that such a diet also gives results in losing weight.
Main Benefits of the TLC Diet:
- lower cholesterol;
- normalization of blood pressure;
- Prevention of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Disadvantages of the TLC diet:
- with a possible decrease in the number of calories absorbed, a feeling of hunger is possible;
- you need to learn how to calculate the percentage of saturated fat in the foods you eat, calculate calories, etc.;
- Sometimes you still have to take cholesterol-lowering medications.
The diet is harmless to health and not dangerous even for children and teenagers. However, it is necessary to take into account individual intolerance to certain products and other individual characteristics. A qualified nutritionist will be able to select the best diet after collecting the necessary information about your health.
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