| Cholesterol Level Guidelines for Adults 20 and Older | ||
|---|---|---|
| Type | Target | High |
| Total cholesterol | Below 200 mg/dL | Above 240 mg/dL |
| LDL cholesterol | Below 100 mg/dL | Above 160 mg/dL |
| HDL cholesterol | Above 60 mg/dL | Below 40 mg/dL |
| Triglycerides | Below 150 mg/dL | Above 200 mg/dL |
Lifestyle changes can help you lower your cholesterol, but they may not be enough to reach these goals alone. For many people, taking a cholesterol-lowering medication—usually a statin drug—is also necessary.
Healthy Eating Guidelines
To manage diabetes and cholesterol levels, pay close attention to the amounts of carbohydrates, cholesterol, and saturated fats in your diet. Also, ensure you’re getting enough nutrients that can help control blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
Total Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates come in different types. Complex carbs, also known as starches, are found in foods like legumes, whole grains, starchy vegetables, pasta, and bread. Simple carbs are sugars. If you have diabetes, it’s important to choose complex carbs over simple ones.
For most people with diabetes, especially those who take insulin and are monitoring their blood sugar levels before and after meals, there’s no hard-and-fast number of ideal carbs per day: That will depend on the results of each meter reading.
Experts recommend carbohydrate intake for most people at between 45% and 65% of total calories each day. This would be lower for some people, such as those following a keto diet.
Added Sugar
There are two forms of dietary sugar: natural sugars found in fresh fruit and additives in products like fruit drinks and condiments such as ketchup and barbecue sauce.
Dietary Guidelines for Americans call for no more than 10 grams of added sugars in any one meal. The American Heart Association calls for no more than 6% of your calories to come from added sugars. This means:
- For males, 150 calories or 36 grams. It’s about 3 tablespoons
- For females, 100 calories or 25 grams. It’s about 2 tablespoons.
Saturated Fat
Saturated fats, present in foods like animal protein, processed meats, certain plant oils, dairy products, and pre-packaged snacks, can raise LDL cholesterol levels in the body.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans advise no more than 10% of total daily calories from saturated fat. The lower threshold from the American Heart Association is just 6% of daily calories from saturated fat. That’s about 120 calories in a 2,000-calorie diet.
Trans Fat
This is an especially bad type of saturated fat that results from the heating of liquid vegetable oils (hydrogenation), a process done to unnaturally give foods a longer shelf life. It’s used in margarine, processed snack foods and baked goods, and for frying.
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Managing Cholesterol and Diabetes
In addition to following the dietary guidelines set out for general health and also monitoring your glucose to determine how certain foods, especially carbs, affect your blood levels, there are other effective ways to manage diabetes and maintain healthy cholesterol levels.
Eat More Fiber
Fiber is the part of plants that can’t be digested. Although it’s very filling, it won’t add calories because the body can’t absorb it, making it useful for weight loss. What’s more, soluble fiber, found in foods like beans, apples, and oatmeal, helps lower LDL cholesterol and keep blood glucose levels steady.
A good rule of thumb for getting ample fiber at each meal is to fill half your plate with non-starchy vegetables—anything from artichokes and asparagus to turnips and zucchini. These are rich in fiber (as well as phytonutrients that can further help protect your overall health).
Aim to increase the amount of fiber you eat every day gradually, to at least 25 grams per day if you’re a woman and 38 grams per day if you’re a man.
Choose Good Fats Over Bad Fats
Fat is an important nutrient, necessary for energy and hormone production, vitamin absorption, maintaining the membrane integrity of every cell in our body, and growth and development. Between 20% and 35% of your calories should come from fats. Keep in mind:
- Saturated fats contribute to high levels of LDL cholesterol, as do the trans fats in fried foods and baked goods.
- Monounsaturated fats, which are found in olives, olive oil, and certain nuts and seeds, actually help lower blood cholesterol levels.
- Another type of good fat, the polyunsaturated fat in fatty fish like salmon and cod, as well as flaxseeds and walnuts, is rich in omega-3 fatty acids that play a significant role in reducing overall blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Lose Weight
If you’re overweight or obese, losing just 5% to 10% of your weight can have a tremendously positive effect on both your diabetes and your cholesterol levels by helping to lower your blood glucose, blood pressure, and improve your blood fat levels. You may even be able to cut down on your medications.
One of the best ways to begin a safe and effective weight loss plan tailored to you is to keep a record of what you eat, how much you eat, and around what time you eat for three days, ideally two weekdays and one weekend. You can then have a registered dietitian analyze it (or use an online program) to determine the average number of calories you are eating and how many vegetables you’re eating (or not eating), and the main kinds of fat in your diet.
Armed with this information, you’ll be able to see how many fewer calories you should eat in order to lose weight at a slow and steady rate, and what foods you should cut back on or steer clear of in order to eat less added sugar and saturated fats.
Get On Your Feet
Physical activity burns calories, which is why exercise is always recommended as part of a weight-loss plan—particularly for someone with diabetes.
Exercise also has been found to help lower total cholesterol levels. What kind? In studies, a combination of aerobic exercise and strength-training has been found ideal.
As for how much and how often you should work out, the AHA advises 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, or 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity, or a combination of both, preferably spread throughout the week. You’ll gain even more benefits by being active at least 300 minutes (five hours) per week. Add moderate- to high-intensity muscle-strengthening activity at least two days per week.
If that sounds like a lot to start, don’t be discouraged: Any physical activity is better than nothing, even if it’s just taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or walking around the block. And if you find it hard to exercise for long periods at a time, divide it up into shorter sessions—10 or 15 minutes—throughout the day.
Kick the Butt Habit
If you smoke, quitting will impact both your HDL and LDL cholesterol levels for the good. Cigarette smoking is linked to higher cholesterol levels, as well as the formation of a damaging form of LDL called oxidized LDL, which contributes to atherosclerosis.
In fact, as soon as you stop smoking, your cholesterol levels will begin to decrease, research shows. With each month after quitting, LDL levels continue to drop, even partially reversing the effects of smoking on cholesterol after just 90 days.
Cholesterol Doctor Discussion Guide
Get our printable guide for your next doctor’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.
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