$Unique_ID{BRK01622}
$Pretitle{Ill Defined Symptoms and Rare Diseases}
$Title{Tricks to Staying on a Low Cholesterol Diet}
$Subject{cholesterol diet tips}
$Volume{N-26}
$Log{
Cholesterol in Arteries*0002701.scf}

Copyright (c) 1991   Tribune Media Services, Inc.


Tricks to Staying on a Low Cholesterol Diet


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QUESTION:  This low cholesterol diet my doctor has given me is no easy thing
to follow and I am not doing very well in getting my numbers down.  There must
be some way to make it work.  What good advice can you give me to help me
reach my mark?

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ANSWER:  It's never easy to change long ingrained eating habits, but such a
change can possibly add extra healthy years of living to your life.  Eating is
a behavior pattern and if you set your mind to it, it is certainly possible to
change your behavior.  There are several "tricks" you can use to help yourself
stay on the diet.
     Make rules for your eating behavior.  Real ones, that you can stick too,
and write them down so you won't forget.  Sounds like serious business, and it
is, for you're the one that will gain (excuse me, "lose") by staying with it.
     Always eat in the same location in the house.  Pick the dining room or
the kitchen table.  Do not, however, eat standing up by the refrigerator or
over the kitchen counter and make a promise to yourself not to nibble while
you are sitting in front of the T.V.  It is amazing how many calories and how
much extra cholesterol you can take in while nibbling, so don't do it.
     Eat slowly, chew your food thoroughly before swallowing and moving on to
the next bite.  It takes your body 20 minutes of eating to feel full, so if
you gobble your food in ten minutes, you will still be feeling hungry for
another ten minutes.
     One of the most important ways of checking up on your eating habits is to
keep a food record.  Not just the food you have consumed during meals, but
everything you put in your mouth.  Keep track of where you ate and at what
time.  If you ate something you hadn't planned to eat (that wasn't on your low
cholesterol diet), write down what your feelings were at the time.
     Before you go to bed, tally how many calories you have consumed and
figure out how much of this was saturated fat and cholesterol.  Save what
you've written down, and once a week, look everything over.  This will help
you recognize your habits, good and bad.  Make an attempt each week to
eliminate one of your bad habits.  For example, if you find that you eat
scraps off the plate while you are clearing the table, make it your goal to
stop that.  Once you've eliminated that problem, you can tackle the next.
Perhaps you nibble as you cook.  Believe it or not, you don't need to taste
everything, especially if the dish is something you are familiar with cooking.
     When you eat out, choose a restaurant that will accommodate your diet.
Call ahead, and make sure there is something you can order.  Make sure they
will broil, rather than fry your fish and serve you margarine, rather than
butter.  When shopping for food, never go when you are hungry,  (you'll buy
all the wrong foods in the place and then eat them so as not to waste money)
and learn to read labels wisely.
     Best of all, when you do well, reward yourself.  But don't do it with
food.  Reward yourself by buying yourself some new clothing for your new
slimmer figure or taking yourself out to a movie or baseball game.  And give
yourself three big cheers, you deserve it!
ÿ
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The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace 
the counsel and advice of your personal physician.  Promptly consulting your 
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical 
problem.
