AHA Diet

• Follow a fat-restricted, low-sodium diet with an emphasis on consumption of plant-based foods to lose weight while improving your cholesterol levels. According to the American Heart Association, you should strive to limit your intake of saturated and trans fats while getting the bulk of your fat calories from heart-healthy unsaturated fats. Unsaturated fats can help to affect positively your cholesterol levels by promoting an increase in HDL (the "good" cholesterol) along with helping to keep you feeling full from meals, reducing the probability that you will cheat on your diet out of pure hunger. Beyond aiming to consume more good fats, you should also try to eat seafood at least twice per week to increase your consumption of omega-3 fats, a special type of fat that can help to normalize your cholesterol levels while helping you to lose weight. Regarding carbohydrates, your goal should be to eat as many nutrient-dense foods from plants, grains, and vegetables as you can, while minimizing your consumption of nutrient poor carbs such as sugars and refined flours. At least half of your diet should consist of grains, fruits and vegetables, so fill your plate up at every meal to ensure you meet this level of consumption. Aim to count sodium and cholesterol in your diet as well, looking to eat less than 2,300mg of sodium per day and under 300mg of cholesterol.
  
  

Dieting Tips

• Keep a food journal to help you keep track of your overall calories, cholesterol intake and sodium intake when first beginning this dietary approach. Write down the foods you consume along with the number of calories and amounts of cholesterol and sodium contained in the foods. Although this might seem tedious, actually having a visual record of the foods you consume throughout the day can help you to understand just how healthy (or otherwise) your current diet is. It can also help to stop binge eating because knowing that you will have to account for every gram that goes in your mouth can help to dissuade you from eating strictly out of boredom.