Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes Diet

Are you suffering heart disease or at high risk for developing it? Do you have high cholesterol and diabetes? Consider a Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) diet right away. TLC was introduced in the year 2001 when the American Heart Association accepted, endorsed and recommended into its materials certain dietary and lifestyle changes for people with high blood cholesterol.

Why TLC?

Many a time, you have to look for certain amount of cholesterol in food intake. TLC helps you to be more precise in your assessment of the specific amount of cholesterol you should consume.

TLC diet, allows you to observe the amount of cholesterol in order to help the body effectively regulate its metabolism and energy building process. Follow the specific guidelines prescribed under the TLC diet regime to be effective.

TLC diet also helps to get your daily total calories to less than 25-35% and cholesterol consumption is regulated to 200 milligrams a day.

If the person has heart ailment or runs a high risk of developing it, then TLC diet which is a low saturated fat, and low cholesterol diet will help reduce blood cholesterol and reduce chances of developing cardiac infarction - future heart attacks or any other similar complications.

TLC diet guidelines

As per the TLC diet guidelines it is imperative that the following is observed:

• Less than 7% should be the total calories from saturated fat in a day.
  
  
• Only 25-30% of the total calories from fat is allowed in a day.
  
  
• Sodium intake should be regulated to 2400 milligrams in a day.
  
  
• Calories, just enough to keep you.

TLC diet is often intensified if the blood cholesterol level does not decrease with the prescribed TLC diet level. The doctor may increase the amount of soluble fiber and add cholesterol lowering food products in the diet. These products include plant sterol esters. Sometimes cholesterol lowering prescription is also made along with TLC diet.

In the TLC diet eating plan, the recommendations for cholesterol and sodium are equal for everyone, irrespective of the number of calories a person should eat. However, the recommendations for saturated fat and total fat are based on the percentage of calories one eats.

TLC diet - tips for food intake

• Beans, eggs and nuts can help alleviate hunger pains when living up to the TLC diet.
  
  
• Meat and fish can be consumed and should be served dry and steamed.
  
  
• Greens helps not only the TLC diet but can also flush out unnecessary toxins that work against a healthy bodily system. Greens also provide necessary vitamins needed by the body.
  
  
• Fruits and vegetables make a great contribution to TLC diet, as they rarely come with high levels of cholesterol.
  
  
• TLC diet friendly oils include olive oil for cooking, which should be used if something needs to be fried.
  
  
• Cut saturated fat - which means eat less of high fat dairy such as butter and fatty meats like salami.

TLC Recipes

Good and tasty food can be prepared without fat and cholesterol. TLC recipes are nutritious and delicious at once. Some of them can be unbelievably yummy and easily made at home.

TLC Diet recipes

TLC Sandwiches

Tofu, drained, extra firm 1 package
Liquid aminos 2 tablespoons
Nutritional yeast 2 tablespoons
Smoked paprika 1 teaspoon
Water 1 tablespoon
Cooking spray
Light mayonnaise 2 tablespoons
Sandwich bread, toasted 2 tablespoons
Romaine lettuce 4 leaves
Cucumber, thinly sliced and seedless ½

Wrap tofu snugly in 4-5 layers of paper towels. Arrange them on a plate. Cover the plate with another plate and balance a heavy can on top to weigh down the plate and set aside to drain for about 20 minutes. Unwrap tofu and cut into 12 slices.

Preheat oven to 425 degree F and in a wide and shallow dish whisk together aminos, yeast, and smoked paprika. Add a tablespoon of water. Arrange tofu in dish and turn to coat well with marinade and set aside for 15 minutes. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray and arrange tofu slices about one inch apart in a single layer and spray all over the cooking spray.

Bake, and flip tofu halfway till it is golden brown. Set aside to cool. Spread mayonnaise onto 4 bread slices and then top with lettuce, cucumbers, tofu and remaining bread and serve.

Roast Pepper Surprise

Red pepper 1 small
Gem squash cooked
Mozzarella and cheese grated
(All the above three ingredients can be used as 'allowance')
Salt and pepper to taste
Mint leaf for garnish

Cut top off pepper and remove pips. Cover in foil, place on a roasting tin and roast at 180 degrees until it begins to soften. Remove from oven, remove foil. Mix gem squash and cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. Fill the pepper with mixture. Place pepper back on roasting tray and bake till mixture has melted and pepper has just started to brown. Remove from oven and garnish with mint leaves. If allowance permits serve with a small salad or snack bread.

Tropical Smoothie

Mango (allowance)
Paw Paw (allowance)
Low fat plain yoghurt (allowance)
Crushed ice
Sprig of mint

Place fruit, crushed ice and yoghurt in a food processor and blend until smooth. Pour into a glass, top with a sprig of mint.

Refreshing Iced Tea

Tea bags (green, Oolong or black tea)
Water
Ice
TLC Stevia powder - to taste
Lemon slices (allowance)

Place water and ice in a jug. Add tea and stir to desired strength and then remove tea bags. Sweeten with TLC Stevia powder and pour into a glass topped with lemon slice.

Chicken Salad

Chicken breast (allowance)
Mustard powder ¼ teaspoon
Soy sauce 1 teaspoon
Coriander leaves chopped small bunch
Salt and pepper to taste
Cayenne pepper ¼ teaspoon

Place chicken breast into a Ziploc bag and add soy sauce, coriander, salt, pepper and mustard powder. Place in the fridge and marinate for half an hour. Place the chicken and the marinade into a nonstick pan and flash fry until the chicken is tender. Add a little water to prevent it from going dry. Serve with fresh salad (all from your allowance) - cherry tomatoes, avocado slices, spring onion and parsley.

Summer Citrus Fish Parcel

Salmon (allowance)
Thyme leaves dried ½ teaspoon
Orange juice (allowance)
Spring onion chopped fine 1 (allowance)
Pepper ground to taste
Salt to taste

Place salmon into a large piece of foil. Sprinkle with thyme, salt, pepper and spring onion. Pour over orange juice. Close the foil, place parcel in oven proof dish and bake for 15 minutes or until the fish is tender. Serve with vegetables or salad from allowance.

Simple cake

Cake flour 3 1/3 cups
Unsalted butter ¾ cup
Sugar 2 ¼ cup
Eggs large 3
Vanilla extract 1 teaspoon
Salt 1 ½ teaspoon
Buttermilk 1 ½ cups
Baking soda 1 ½ teaspoon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease three 9 x 2 inch pans. In a small bowl, sift flour and set aside. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and mix well. Stir salt into butter milk and then alternate with flour and add to batter. Do not over beat into mixture. Pour into prepared pans and bake approximately for 40 minutes.

Husk corn delight

Husk corn 6 ears
Salt
Onion green bunch 1 - chopped

Preheat grill to medium and peel back the husks of the corn without removing them. Remove the silks and recover the corn with the husk. Soak the corn overnight in a gallon of well salted cold water for about 30 minutes. Make sure corn is completely submerged. Light charcoal or gas grill. When coals have burned down, grill the corn in the husk turning several times. The corn is done when tender to the touch.

Shrimp stuffed shiitake mushrooms

Shiitake mushrooms with rounded caps stemmed 12 4 inch
Shrimp, shelled, de veined and coarsely chopped 1 pound
Fresh ginger chopped 1 tablespoon
Garlic cloves chopped 1
Scallions sliced crosswise 2
Egg 1
Heavy cream 3 tablespoon
Sesame oil 1 teaspoon
Sambal oelek ¼ teaspoon
Soy sauce 1 tablespoon
Pepper ¼ teaspoon
Salt and pepper to taste
Chives chopped for garnish 1 tablespoon

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a food processor, combine ginger, garlic, scallion and pulse to and add ¾ shrimp, egg, sambal, oelek, salt and pepper and slowly add sesame oil, cream and soy sauce. Pulse until emulsified. Add remaining ¼ pound of shrimp and pulse until the small pieces of shrimp are visible and dispersed throughout the emulsified mixture.

Lay the mushroom caps in a single layer side up on baking sheet and lightly rub with sesame oil and season with salt and pepper. Flip the mushroom over to gill side up. Spoon the shrimp mixture into the mushroom caps and top with sesame seeds. Bake for about 15 minutes and garnish with chives.

Spicy tomato deviled eggs

Eggs 1 dozen
Low fat mayonnaise 5 tablespoons
Tomato paste 2 tablespoons
Pepper sauce hot bottled 2-3 teaspoons
Salt to taste
Ground black pepper fresh to taste
Paprika

Put the eggs in a large bowl and cover them with at least 2 inches with cold water. Put the pot over high heat. When it comes to a boil, remove from heat and cover and let it stand for about 15 minutes. Now drain the pot and run cold water over the eggs to stop the cooking. When cooled, crack and remove the shells. Cut the eggs in half and put the yolks into a bowl.

Mash with the mayonnaise, tomato paste, and tobacco until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place the yolk mixture in a re-sealable plastic bag and just before serving snip off one of the corners of the bag. Gently squeeze the bag and fill each egg white. Garnish with paprika.