Ryan is a 34 year old male software engineer. His BMI is 25, but he has low body fat and high muscle mass. He runs two to three marathons a year and is currently training for his third summit of Mount Rainier. He’s recently had a preventative physical exam and his doctor has advised him to begin taking cholesterol lowering statins as he has high triglycerides and elevated LDL cholesterol. Ryan wants to try making dietary modifications to lower his LDL before he commits to the statins. His comes to you and provides the following dietary information. Breakfast is coffee with cream, a egg and cheese on english muffin. Eats out every lunch Monday through Friday. Frequently it will be a lunchmeat sandwich with lettuce and tomato on sourdough and a bag of chips, or a burrito with steak, cheese, rice, beans with a side of tortilla chips and guacamole. Dinner is cooked at home most days of the week by his wife. Generally it is a meat such as pork, beef or chicken with a side of vegetables and potatoes or rice. She likes to bake treats with butter or coconut oil and he snacks on those treats often. Questions What type of fats should Ryan focus on increasing and decreasing in order to improve his lipid profile? Name specific foods that he could incorporate. Describe how consuming a food like oatmeal can help to reduce risk for heart disease. Make sure to include a detailed explanation, and include key terms and important concepts. Aside from oatmeal, what other foods contain the same components that help to reduce blood cholesterol? Explain in detail, using the correct terminology, why HDL is considered the “good cholesterol.” How can Ryan increase his HDL? What other diet or lifestyle recommendations do you have for Ryan for reducing his risk of heart disease?
