By Julia Vantine with Lori Davis, The New York Times Special Features
Yesterday you were couch-bound, comfy as you please, one hand
nestled in a bag of potato chips, the other gripping the remote
control.
Today your doctor handed you a brochure titled ``So You Have
High Cholesterol.''
But, while it's not the best news that you've ever gotten,
there's no need to panic. In fact, you possess the power to turn
that news around.
``There's compelling evidence that diet and exercise have the
potential to significantly lower cholesterol levels -- and,
consequently, lower heart disease rates'' confirms Dr. John C.
LaRosa, chancellor of Tulane University Medical Center in New
Orleans.
Here are three low-fat, plant-based diets that can lower your
cholesterol 10 to 40 percent in just three weeks. Based on an
average total cholesterol of 250, that can work out to between 25
and 100 points!
Decide which eating plan appeals to you, then add the
ingredients from that plan's shopping list to your grocery list and
head for the market.
+ 1. THE VEGETARIAN DIET: Lower your cholesterol by as much as
40 percent in 21 days.
Vegetarians have lower cholesterol levels and lower rates of
heart disease than meat eaters.
Part of the vegetarian diet's cholesterol-shrinking power comes
from fiber. The average vegetarian gets 50 to 100 percent more
fiber and up to 50 percent less dietary cholesterol than meat
eaters. A vegetarian diet is also brimming with vitamins C and E
and betacarotene, and phytochemicals such as flavonoids, all of
which help keep cholesterol from stopping up your arteries, says
Dr. Dean Ornish, president and director of the Preventive Medicine
Research Institute in Sausalito, Calif.
The plan: Aim for six or more servings of whole grains; three or
more servings of dark, leafy greens; two to four servings of dark
yellow and citrus fruits; two to four servings of beans, peas or
egg whites; and one or two servings of nonfat milk, cheese or
yogurt each day, Ornish says.
He also advocates reducing dietary fat to 10 percent of total
calories. If that seems too difficult, shoot for 25 percent, then
see how you respond. If your cholesterol comes down sufficiently,
that may be all you need to do. Keep in mind, though, that to get
your cholesterol down 100 points, you'll probably need to hit that
10 percent mark, not just come close. Ornish's program is so
effective that even by coming close, you'll still lower your
cholesterol -- just not as much.
Most people are surprised to learn that vegetarians consume as
much or more iron than meat eaters. The catch is that the iron in
plants is less well absorbed than that in meat. To make sure that
you get enough, eat high-iron foods such as legumes along with
vitamin C, which helps the body absorb iron.
Vegan diets -- no meat, eggs or dairy -- are low in vitamin B12
however, so talk to your doctor about whether you need to take a
daily supplement or eat a bowl of Total cereal (which contains 100
percent of your Daily Value for B12).
The shopping list: Along with everyday favorites such as
tomatoes, broccoli, carrots and potatoes, treat yourself to jicama,
mango, mustard and other greens, and juicy portobello and shiitake
mushrooms. Stock up on canned and dried beans, from adzukis to
white; condiments such as flavored vinegars, mustards, curry pastes
and chutneys; and hearty whole grains from around the world, such
as quinoa, bulgur, cracked wheat and buckwheat (kasha).
+2. THE ASIAN DIET: Lower your cholesterol by as much as 40
percent in 21 days.
The Asian diet -- shorthand for the traditional diets of China,
Japan, and neighboring South Korea, India, Thailand and other
Pacific Rim countries -- has been called the healthiest in the
world.
Research on 6,500 people in rural mainland China shows that they
consume half as much fat and three times as much fiber, and that
their meat consumption is 10 percent that of the United States.
Not surprisingly, their mean cholesterol level is 127 milligrams
per deciliter, compared to our 203 mg/dl. The kicker: Compared to
the United States, their rates of death from heart disease are
almost 17 times less for men and six times less for women.
``If all Americans ate like this, we could prevent 80 to 90
percent of all chronic degenerative diseases, including heart
disease,'' says T. Colin Campbell, professor of nutritional
biochemistry at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., who has done
extensive studies on the Asian diet.
The plan: Load your plate with rice (preferably brown), whole
grains, noodles and flatbreads. Top them with vegetables, bok choy,
bean sprouts, black beans, bamboo shoots -- and fish. Milk and milk
products aren't part of the traditional Asian diet; use low-fat
varieties sparingly. You can also treat yourself to four ounces of
lean meat once a week. With little milk in your diet, look for a
supplement with calcium and vitamin D.
The shopping list: Build your list around brown rice, whole
grains, noodles, vegetables and fish. Stock up on standard Asian
condiments such as soy sauce (low sodium, of course), ginger and
chiles. More exotic Asian flavorings include lemongrass, tamarind,
and turmeric, available in upscale grocery stores or Asian food
stores.
+ 3. THE LOW-GLYCEMIC DIET: Raise your good cholesterol by as
much as 20 percent in 21 days.
Although we need more research to confirm this, a recent study
in London analyzed the diets of 1,420 people and found that those
who ate the most foods with a low glycemic index -- that is, foods
that promote a slow, steady rise in blood sugar after a meal,
rather than a rapid spike -- had much higher levels of HDL, the good
cholesterol.
In fact, women in the study who ate the most low-glycemic foods
had high enough HDL levels to lower their risk of heart disease by
29 percent. Another bonus: This study and others demonstrate that
such diets also lower total cholesterol and blood fats called
triglycerides, another risk factor for heart disease.
The plan: Highly refined foods have a high glycemic index, while
fiber-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains
have lower values. So ditch the refined foods and load your plate
with natural grains and produce.
The shopping list: Start with whole-grain wheat, sprouted wheat,
or whole-grain rye bread; high-bran cereals such as AllBran or
Fiber One; whole grains such as bulgur and barley (not usually
available as a whole grain but still chockfull of fiber); and
fruits and vegetables.
Avoid products made with refined grains, such as white bread or
bagels, sugary desserts (even low-fat selections), rice cakes and
puffed or flaked cereals -- all of which are rapidly converted to
glucose. A few fruits and vegetables -- pineapple, raisins and other
dried fruits, watermelon, carrots, baked potatoes and winter squash
-- are high- glycemic foods. We don't recommend cutting them
completely out of your diet, however. With this eating plan, no
fruit or vegetable is off-limits unless you eat too much of it.
