Cholesterol Management
OVERVIEW
Ms. Sonakshi Datta, a 43-year-old female connected with Café Nutrition virtually for weight loss and management of clinical conditions - blood pressure and lipid profile.
Her readings (at the start of the program) were as follows:
Weight: 53.5 Kgs
BMI: 23.7 Kg/m2
Blood pressure: 152/90 mm of Hg (with medication twice a day)
Total cholesterol: 236 mg/dl
LDL cholesterol: 175 mg/dl
HDL cholesterol: 49 mg/dl
APPROACH
A detailed dietary and lifestyle history along with a 24-hour food recall was taken to understand her meal pattern, traditional foods, portion sizes, exercise and sleep habits, etc. This helped us provide her with a realistic and sustainable diet plan for her goals.
Our analysis revealed an increased consumption of carbohydrate rich foods and decreased protein consumption. Intake of fruits and vegetables was also low which is a common trend in Indian diets. The biggest challenge in her program was the inability to exercise on account of her polio. However, she agreed to start off with a 10-minute house walk.
The 7-day diet plan created with her likes, dislikes and appropriate portion sizes was heart healthy to help control her blood pressure and improve her lipid profile. Potassium rich foods with reduced sodium in her diet would help her manage the blood pressure. Regular monitoring of her blood pressure was suggested to help us make suitable changes in the diet plan. Our healthy salad and snack recipe booklets would help her create a variety in her diet and also help bring down the lipid levels. The walk eventually increased to a 30-minute house walk towards the end of the program. Overall, a simple Indian cuisine diet plan was suggested for comfort and viability of the program.
RESULTS
A robust diet plan, process driven follow ups, and her dedication helped Sonakshi lose weight, control her blood pressure and manage her lipid profile. Her blood pressure medication was reduced to half and her lipid profile was within normal range.
Her readings (at the end of 6 months) were as follows:
Weight: 48 Kgs
BMI: 21.3 Kg/m2
Blood pressure: 120/80 mm of Hg
Total cholesterol: 124 mg/dl
LDL cholesterol: 45 mg/dl
HDL cholesterol: 52 mg/dl
CONCLUSION
Changes in the diet structure helped her consume foods from all the food groups. Her weight loss (without hair loss and with improved skin texture) helped her feel light which reduced the load on her polio afflicted leg. Walking for 30 minutes became a part of her daily routine.