The TLC Diet: A Diet to Lower Cholesterol

Have you ever heard of the Therapeutic Lifestyle Change (TLC) Diet? If you’re trying to lower your LDL cholesterol naturally, you’ll want to read this! The TLC diet is not your typical restrictive diet. It’s actually more of a lifestyle change than a diet. Stay tuned to learn about how it works.

What is the TLC Diet?

The Therapeutic Lifestyle Change (TLC) Diet was created by the National Institute of Health. It was shown to help lower LDL cholesterol levels by 8-10% within 6 weeks! It includes a variety of foods that are low in saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol. It can satisfy your taste buds as much as your heart.

The most important part of the TLC diet is eating high amounts of soluble fiber. Soluble fiber helps to lower LDL cholesterol by binding to bile in the intestines. Bile is what helps to emulsify fats so that they can be digested and absorbed. Bile is made out of cholesterol.

When soluble fiber binds to bile, it causes the bile (cholesterol) to be excreted through stool instead of recycled as usual. (Okay, in simpler terms, it means that it causes you to poop out the bile/cholesterol). When that happens, the body has to make more bile out of cholesterol. This process of eating high amounts of soluble fiber lowers cholesterol levels over time.

This diet is high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. These foods have good amounts of soluble fiber. Besides the fiber, this is overall a great diet to follow that will provide plenty of nutrients.

The TLC Diet Includes: 

Breads/Cereals/Grains: 6 or more servings a day
Good examples: Brown rice, quinoa, potatoes (not a grain, but starchy enough to count as a grain)

Vegetables/Beans/Peas: 3-5 servings/day
Good examples: Leafy greens, cucumbers, bell peppers, onions, zucchini, yellow squash, acorn squash, pumpkin, romaine lettuce, carrots, eggplant, spinach, and beets 

Fruits: 2–4 servings a day
Good examples: Berries, peaches, apples, nectarines, bananas, cantaloupe, watermelon, etc.

Dairy Products: 2–3 servings a day—fat-free or low fat (for example, 1% milk)
Good examples: Low-fat milk, low-fat, unsweetened Greek yogurt, low-fat cheese

Eggs: 2 or fewer yolks per week—including yolks in baked goods and in cooked or processed foods

Meat/Poultry/Fish: 5 or fewer ounces a day
Good examples: Chicken without skin, fish, sirloin steak, extra lean hamburger, ground turkey, pork tenderloin.

Fats/Oils: Amount depends on daily calorie level
Good examples: Avocados, olives, avocado & olive oil, and nuts.

Soluble Fiber: Make half your fiber soluble (~15 g soluble and ~15 g insoluble each day)
Good examples of soluble fiber: Black beans, lima beans, kidney beans, avocados, turnips, broccoli, sweet potato, barley, oats, psyllium, apples, bananas, berries, citrus fruits, figs, apricots, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums, prunes, brussels sprouts, carrots, flaxseed, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, peas, soy products

Good examples of insoluble fiber: Wheat bran, oat bran, beans, lentils, berries, whole grains, most vegetables, fruits and other plant foods

Plant Stanols/Sterol Esters: Amount: 2 grams/day
Good examples: Legumes, vegetable oils, nuts, cereals, seeds and specially labeled margarines and food containing plant stanols/sterol esters.

Tips to Make Heart-Healthy Meals

Eating heart-healthy meals doesn’t mean giving up on taste. Use these helpful tips to make meals that taste great AND are healthy for your heart.

• Use low-fat methods and try not to add saturated fats like butter—Bake, broil, microwave, roast, steam, poach, lightly stir fry or sauté food in cooking spray.
• Use a nonstick pan (without added fat) when possible.
• Chill soups and stews for several hours and remove congealed fat off of the top. 
• Limit salt in preparing stews, soups, and other dishes—Use spices and herbs to make dishes tasty. 
• Cook with low-fat (1-percent fat) or fat-free types of milk or of evaporated milk, instead of whole milk or cream.
• Instead of sour cream, blend 1 cup low-fat, unsalted cottage cheese with 1 tablespoon fat-free milk and 2 tablespoons lemon juice, or substitute fat-free or low-fat sour cream or yogurt. 
• Use a variety of herbs and spices in place of salt.
• Use low-sodium bouillon and broths, instead of regular bouillons and broths.
• Use skinless chicken thighs instead of regular.
• Choose margarine that lists liquid vegetable oil as the first ingredient on the food label and is low in saturated fat and low in or free of trans fat. Benecol & Take Control are brands that add plant stanols to them

Sometimes You CAN Lower Cholesterol Without Medication

This diet is a great way to lower your cholesterol without medication. If you have high cholesterol levels, it’s worth a try. However, we still recommend that you consult a doctor about your labs. If you are on medication to lower your cholesterol, we recommend having your labs checked regularly. Sometimes our patients are able to quit taking their cholesterol medication after following a diet like this one and consulting their doctor. A dietitian would be able to help you identify what changes you can make to improve your lab levels. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.