Is the TLC Diet For Me?

Do you have high cholesterol? Has your doctor told you they’re worried about the risk of heart disease in your future or that something needs to change? 

If yes, the TLC diet is designed for you. If no, the TLC diet will help keep it that way. 

People who don’t have high cholesterol or heart conditions will still benefit from following the lifestyle change. Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) means making the right kind of changes for your body and ensuring you’re giving it the best chance at survival and staying fit. By following the diet, you aren’t taking any risks or putting yourself in danger. You’re helping your body by giving it the nutrients it needs without the risk of putting too much in there.   Are you looking to be healthier? 

The TLC diet not only helps with reducing cholesterol, but it has helped people lose weight and generally feel better. Healthier. Eating processed foods, or giving our body too much and clogging it down with the bad fats can leave us feeling tired. Too much sugar leaves us dependent and fatigued when we’re running low. 

Making healthy choices and sticking to them gets your body back into its natural rhythm, and eventually, you’ll feel more energized – more awake. All thanks to the foods that you’re putting in your body. 

Do you suffer from headaches? Tiredness and achy muscles? People don’t tend to realize just how much impact food has on our bodies. Eating the wrong thing can lead to crankiness, imbalances, and drowsiness. Eating the right things? You’ll feel much better on a healthy meal plan than you ever will on a cup of coffee. The perks last much longer, and help give you the best shot at a long life. 

Do you have the motivation to make changes? 

The TLC diet isn’t a fad. It’s not a diet you follow for two weeks, drop your dress size for that big event and then get right back to your usual eating habits. 

The idea behind it is to make changes that you can stick to. Initially, any type of change is difficult. You need to be serious about making a change and stick to it. If you have the will power and motivation to look after your body, then the diet is absolutely for you. There are no age restrictions or rules on who can and cannot follow the diet. 

Work hard and it’ll pay off in the long run. 

Do you want to feel better? 

As already mentioned, the wrong foods can make your body feel slow and run down. Eating right and healthy can revitalize you and make you feel full of energy. If you want a way to give yourself more energy, without sacrificing hours of the day away in bed, the TLC diet can help you. It’ll make you feel better, healthier, and in most cases it can help drop a few pounds too, leading to a whole new energetic version of yourself. 

The TLC diet is there for anyone who wants a change, is determined, and wants to stay healthy or improve their health. There’s no reason not to try it. 

A Day in the Life of the TLC Diet

Starting a new diet can be scary – you instantly crave all the things you very recently had access to. You feel like you’re depriving yourself. Everything turns into ‘I can’t have that’, rather than politely declining it because you don’t want it. Everyone has been there. Everyone has woken up on the dreaded Monday, where they swore no more cupcakes and more lettuce, and instantly regretted their decisions. 

Dieting doesn’t have to be miserable. 

A typical day on the TLC diet will be different, potentially, to what your days used to be like but they don’t have to be bad. 

Mornings 

Mornings are a great time to revitalize yourself. You don’t need to go on a thirty-minute jog but absolutely get in a quick routine. A five-minute warm-up followed by a few bodyweight exercises to tone, and then cool down and off you go with your morning. 

With TLC, breakfast doesn’t need to be complicated. A bowl of cereal with fat-free, or low fat, milk is fine. It provides complex carbohydrates, and tend to be low in fat. You’re also definitely still allowed your coffee – just go light on sugar, or without it entirely if you can. 

Afternoons 

Diets and limp lettuce tend to be conjoined, but they absolutely don’t have to be. Lunch can be anything from a tuna salad sandwich (with dressing!) or a low sodium vegetable soup. You can experiment with your own recipes and throw together something you won’t dread eating a few times a week. 

If you work at a desk, try and get out for a walk – even if it’s just around your office building, get your legs moving and try and get in a little exercise. Diet and activity go hand in hand in ensuring a healthier lifestyle. 

Evening 

The – for many – main meal of the day is important. For a lot of people, it’s something to look forward to once you get home. Something like grilled skinless chicken breasts, with roasted vegetables, stays in line with the diet, tastes good and gives you many needed nutrients. If you’re worried about bland taste, drizzle with olive oil, and rub herbs into the chicken, or even coat the vegetables. 

 Snacks 

Most diets prohibit snacking, but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with a treat every now and then. Try and keep it healthier – don’t reach for the potato chips – but indulge your taste buds a little. Greek yogurt with a small portion of berries is a good, sweet example. It tastes good, it’s filling and you’ll be doing your body a favor. 

There are many great ways to stick to a TLC diet plan without worrying about what you’re no longer allowed. For many foods, moderation is key. Meat is acceptable, just limit your intake of it, reduce your dairy and sugars, and you’ll start giving your body the tools to repair the damage and bring down your cholesterol without having to depend on tablets and pills from your doctor.  

Conclusion

Well, we have reached the pinnacle of our beginners guide on the TLC Diet and I want to congratulate you for making it this far. In this final part we will be summarizing the main points we have covered so far and hopefully put to ease any questions or doubts you may have. 

Tips To Start Today  

At first, it’s not going to be easy – no diet is easy, regardless of who you are, above all else, however, the major thing to consider is sources of fat in your diet and monitoring saturated fat levels to lower your cholesterol.  

While this seems difficult, after about a week or so, you’ll start to pick up on the routine and before you know it, the TLC diet will naturally become a part of your lifestyle. 

Here’s a little bit of advice for you – put some time and effort into making your meals. You may even want to enroll in a nice yoga class (there may be one going on right now in your area). If you cannot find a yoga class, you can find many yoga videos online, which will allow you to practice yoga in the comfort of your own home. 

Also, it may help if you have a nice support system going on. The more friends you have that will take part in this diet with you, the better off you’re going to be. 

In the end, don’t let anything get in your way and remember the benefits of the TLC diet! You can also reward yourself. Rewarding yourself will give you something to look forward to. Just don’t reward yourself with food – go for a new shirt or something along those lines. 

Well, that’s it, you’ve reached the end. Wish you all the best in your journey to reduce your cholesterol levels by following the TLC diet.   
 Let Food Be Thy Medicine And Medicine Be Thy Food 
Hippocrates 

Before starting any new diet you must check with your GP

Good luck

Getting Physically Active

I’m going to tell you right now if you want to be healthy, you need to get out there and get physical.  

Regardless of your age, it’s never too late for you to start exercising, so don’t ever use your age as an excuse – there’s 70 years old’s out there doing extraordinary things with a bit of fitness! 

In fact, the older you are, the more you should exercise. No, I’m not joking. Unless your doctor has advised against it, there’s no reason not to. Exercise isn’t going to have a negative impact on your body. Of course, before you get physically active, you should speak with your doctor to get the “go ahead,” this way, you will feel better. 

You just need to learn how to fight through that laziness for the sake of your own health and get your body to start moving. Trust us, even the smallest of changes in your lifestyle can lead to a 
huge change in your body, so don’t hesitate to start a good exercise regimen and stick to it. 

At first, you’re not going to like exercise, but eventually, as it becomes a part of your lifestyle, you’re going to enjoy it.  

Types of Exercises: 

 Walking 

 Jogging 

 Swimming 

 Yoga 

Those are only for types of exercise you can take part in. Honestly, you can easily create your own exercise routine that is fun for you.  

Just look on youtube for at-home exercise programs and you will find a multitude of fun and easy to perform programs. 

For making any change to your daily Exercise check with your GP

Smart Choices, Eating Out And Social Events On The TLC Diet

During the first couple of days of your TLC diet, you may be under the impression that it is difficult to follow. However, if you stick at it for longer than a fortnight, it’ll become easier and easier for you to follow, eventually becoming a habit.  

As we mentioned earlier in the book, there may be times when you’re too busy, or you may be going out with friends to a restaurant. During this time, you may be tempted to let the diet go.  

The key to sticking with the diet is to prepare yourself for every possible situation you can think of. It is important that you try to make sure you always have access to healthy food, regardless. As long as you have healthy foods available at all times, you will be able to eat healthily.  

This means you should take part in smart shopping, know how to cook your food and you should know exactly what to eat when you’re eating out and attending social events.  

Once you are able to handle all of that, it will be easy for you to eat healthily, regardless of where you may be. You’re not going to have any excuses to run to the nearest fast-food chain or eat chocolate.  

The way you cook is a big influence on how healthy your food is going to be. The right cooking technique can make a health ingredient even healthier. On another note, the wrong technique can make things a lot worse. Take deep frying as an example – you’re taking a vegetable and turning it into a giant sponge of fat. If you want to stay healthy, then you need to learn healthy cooking techniques.  

Cooking Techniques

Cook using low-fat methods. Avoid using too much butter and oil. There are certain techniques that are preferred by advocates of the TLC diet.  

These cooking techniques include:  

 Grilling 

 Steaming 

 Boiling 

 Roasting 

 Baking 

 Poaching 

It is okay to sauté or even do some light frying, but keep your use of oil and butter low. You may want to invest in a good nonstick pan that will allow you to cook without using butter. 

Eating Out On The TLC Diet 

 

What you choose to eat during your outing all depends on the type of restaurant you choose.  

Here, I am going to list Chinese restaurants and Italian as those seem to be pretty popular. 

 

If you chose to eat out at a Chinese restaurant, stay away from the fried rice and go for food that doesn’t contain MSG. Chinese cuisine consists of a lot of vegetables, but many times, their cooking styles are no good. Thankfully, on the menu, you’ll be able to find barbecues, roasted and steamed food. 

 

If you chose to eat out at an Italian restaurant, don’t eat too much bread. When you choose bread as a side dish, it can be easy to overindulge. Eating too much, however, can do more harm than good. If you chose pizza, go for ones that are packed full of vegetable toppings and choose half the amount of cheese. Sometimes, these restaurants overload the pizza with processed meat like pepperoni, bacon, and sausage.  

 

If you’re going for pasta, choose the red sauce because this is healthier than any cream. 

Before starting any diet you must check with your GP

 

TLC Diet Transformation -More Recipes

Grilled Eggplant Slices With Chopped Fennel    

Ingredients:  

1 large eggplant  
A ½ cup of chopped fennel  
1 tbsp of olive oil  
1 tsp of chopped parsley 

Preparation: Peel the eggplant and cut into 3 equal slices. Bake it in a barbecue pan without oil. When done, spread olive oil over it, sprinkle with fennel and parsley. (These eggplant slices are great cold, so you can leave them overnight in a refrigerator) 

Turkey Fillet With Walnuts And Maple Syrup   

 Ingredients:  

3 turkey fillets  
A ½ cup of walnuts 
1 tsp of maple syrup  
A ¼ cup of water  
1 tbsp of olive oil salt to taste 

Preparation: Fry the fillets in a barbecue pan, over a low temperature, for about 15 minutes, or until tender. Remove the pan from the heat and add water, maple syrup, and walnuts. Mix well and fry for another 5-6 minutes until the water evaporates. Stir constantly. Allow it to cool for a while before serving. 

Beef Chop With Pineapple And Tumeric    

Ingredients:  

1.5 pounds of beef chop, boneless  
2 tbsp of coconut oil  
1 tbsp of olive oil  
A ½ cup of coconut milk  
1 tsp of turmeric  
¼ tsp of pepper  
1 medium pineapple, peeled and chopped  

Preparation: Wash and dry the meat. Cut into bite-size cubes. Combine the meat with coconut oil, coconut milk, turmeric, pepper, and pineapple. Mix well and set a side for 15 minutes. Use a large wok pan to heat up the olive oil. Remove the meat and pineapple chops from the marinade and fry for about 5-7 minutes on each side. Now pour in the remaining marinade, cover the wok pan and cook for 30 minutes over a medium temperature. The marinade will become thick and the meat soft. Remove from the heat and serve. 

Salmon With Zucchini    

Ingredients:  

1 pound of sliced salmon fillets  
2 small zucchinis  
6 Brussels sprouts  
3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil  
¼ tsp of pepper  

Preparation: Peel and slice zucchinis into 0.5-inch thick circle shape slices. Cut salmon fillets into bite-size pieces. Heat up one tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet and add your salmon fillets. Fry them up for about 10 minutes, or until they are nice and crispy. When done, move them to a plate covered with a kitchen paper to soak up the grease. Set aside. 

Cut the Brussels sprouts in half. Combine with zucchini slices in a large bowl and add 2 tbsp of the remaining olive oil. Move the vegetables to the skillet and cook until the Brussel sprouts are tender. This should take no more than 10 minutes. Add your salmon fillets to the skillet, cover and allow it to rewarm. Serve and enjoy. 

Before making any changes to your diet check with your GP

Cooking The TLC Way – Sample Meal Options

In this section, I’m going to introduce you to some delicious TLC recipes. 

Breakfast Smoothie 

Ingredients:  

1 cup of fresh blueberries 
A ½ cup of chopped baby spinach  
1 cup of avocado, chopped  
2 tbsp of almonds, minced 1 cup of coconut milk  
A ½ cup of ice cubes (optional) 

Preparation: Wash and drain the baby spinach. Combine with other ingredients in a blender and mix for about 30 seconds. Serve cold. 

Fruit Salad.

Ingredients:  

1 cup of berries  
A ½ cup of pineapple cubes  
A ½ cup of chopped apple  
5 mint springs  
1 tbsp of fresh lime juice  
1 tsp of lime zest ¼ cup of water  
1 tsp of cinnamon  
1 tsp of agave syrup 

Preparation: In a small saucepan combine a ¼ cup of water, mint spring, fresh lime juice, and lime zest. Allow it to boil over medium temperature and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine 1 cup of berries, a ½ cup of pineapple cubes and a ½ cup of chopped apple. Add agave syrup and mix well. Pour the lime mixture over the salad and let it stand in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes. Remove from the refrigerator and sprinkle with 1 tsp of cinnamon before serving. 

Before making any changes to your diet check with your GP

Dietary fat is different than your body fat.

It appears that the lack of knowledge of nutrition scares most to think dietary fat is bad. It can be considered word and image association where you hear the word “fat” and automatically associate it with the fat on your belly. Automatically you think, “Uh oh, I don’t want any more fat on my stomach, I don’t want that food if it has fat.” So, is a low-fat diet a solution for all ills?  

Well, before answering this question, it is important to find whether you are eating healthy fats or not. Healthy fats include seeds, nuts, and unrefined oils and naturally occurring fats in vegetables and meats. The key lies in maintaining moderation and optimizing nutritional benefits. Experts recommend that fats and oil should suffice for at least 10–40 percent of your regular energy needs. 

Though fats have earned a poor reputation for their effect on heart health and obesity, some fat is ESSENTIAL for health and wellbeing. 
Fats help in the absorption of carotenoids and fat-soluble vitamins - A, D, E, K Supply essential fatty acids needed by the body, which it cannot make on its own, such as omega-3 – which is unsaturated fat that we must consume from our diets mainly found in fish. Fats have the potential to harm as well as help our health; depending on their fatty acid composition, their nutritional value, and their condition.  

When used in a natural, unadulterated state, fat offers optimal nutritional benefits. On the other hand, a very low- fat diet can compromise our health and ability to lose weight.  
   
Fatty Acids    

When you eat food, the fat comprised in the food is known as fatty acids. Typically considered “good fats,” fatty acids are known as the building blocks of many cellular structures and hormonal patterns in the human body.    
 Healthy Nuts, Seeds, Fats, And Oils. 

Healthy Nuts & Seeds To Consume: Almonds, Pistachios, Walnuts, Hazelnuts, Sesame Seeds Pecans, Brazil Nuts, Sunflower Seeds, Macadamia Nuts, Cashews, Peanuts, Pumpkin Seeds, Chia Seeds. 
Fats and oils to use Almond Oil, Red Palm Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Grapeseed oil, Sesame Oil, Flax Seed Oil, Macadamia Nut Oil Hemp, Coconut Oil, Safflower Oil. 

These fatty acids help in the transfer of oxygen to different parts of the body through the bloodstream. These fats help keep skin healthy, thus preventing signs of early aging. These promote cell membrane development and are essential for strong organs and tissue.  

They help the body process cholesterol and rid the arteries of plaque or cholesterol build-up. Fatty acids boost the functioning of adrenal and thyroid glands, thus helping regulate weight. 

Before starting any diet you must check with your GP