Losing weight is hard. It can be a long process. But when you meet your weight loss goals, the feeling is euphoric. That is until you gain some or all of it back.

That’s where a concept called reverse dieting – a way to teach your metabolism by gradually adding calories back after a weight-loss journey – can help.

“Reverse dieting is used when you've been on an actual calorie-deficit diet for a while, and you're trying to get to middle ground, where you're no longer losing or gaining,” says Nicole O’Neill, a registered dietitian with OSF HealthCare. “It's a way to determine how many calories you need to maintain.”

The reverse dieting concept has been around for some time, but O’Neill says there was never a name for it. The premise is to add calories to your diet a little at a time after you’ve lost weight until you start to gain weight again.

“When you're trying to lose weight, there is a stop point you have with a goal weight in mind,” O’Neill explains. “So, if your goal weight is 150 and you've hit your 150, you don't want to go to 130. So, you have to adjust something to stop that weight loss and be where you want to be. And inevitably, it's adding a bit more calories. And that's all the reverse dieting is – adding a bit more calories.”

The way reverse dieting usually works is by adding back 50-100 calories each day. Often, you take the calorie load that you've been doing to lose weight and add 100 calories more. That doesn’t mean eating a cookie; experts suggest the added calories come from protein or your favorite fruit or vegetable.  

O’Neill suggests doing that for a week. Weigh yourself again and if your weight loss has stopped at that additional 100 calorie mark, that’s your end point. Some people might require up to an additional 500 calories to reach their stop point.

Reverse dieting is very individualized, and it takes time, cautions O’Neill. It also takes effort to track your numbers.

“I think it's a way to help you not have a regain,” O’Neill says. “We want to achieve a goal weight. We want to maintain the goal weight. The reverse diet thought process helps you do that.”

The biggest benefit is when you stop dieting, using a reverse diet to find your set point helps you maintain your weight instead of quickly regaining what you lost. O’Neill sees this often among her clients.

“They lose 60 pounds, they feel great, and then they're like, ‘Ha, we're done,’” she says. “Well, a year later, they've gained it back, because they returned to what they were doing before the diet. So, this is a way to incrementally increase, to get them to maintenance without that regain of weight.”

Reverse dieting is safe for anybody who's been on a calorie-deficit diet, according to O’Neill. For some, it might take one week to find that calorie amount. For others it could take a couple of months. Some people aren't going to be comfortable adding 100 calories to their daily intake. They'll start with only 50 calories, and so that elongates the amount of time that's necessary to get to their stop point.

O’Neill adds that what you eat on a reverse diet is a continuation of what you’ve been eating on your calorie-deficit diet.

“Say you typically were going to eat 1,500 calories to lose weight and now you want to do 1,600 calories,” she says. “You could add an extra hardboiled egg and an extra handful of carrots, and that's your 100 calories.”

The best place to start is by figuring out how many calories you are currently consuming. If you need help, working with a dietitian is a good first step.

For more information, visit the OSF HealthCare website.

Interview Clips 

• First, be honest with your provider about what you’re eating and drinking. They are the experts, so they can work with you to come up with a diet that fulfills you physically and emotionally.
   
• Practice moderation. Don’t have sweet and salty treats around you all the time.
  
  “Don’t go to Costco and buy in bulk,” Adcock says with a smile. “Have just enough to get you through the day.
  
  “Don’t sit down in front of the TV and mindlessly snack,” she adds. “It helps to have portioned servings that are within your meal plan.”
   
• Avoid impulse buys, too. We’ve all seen the rack of candy bars in the grocery store checkout area. If you’ve planned, for example, for a sweet treat with dinner, go for it. If not, resist the urge to just grab the candy for candy’s sake.

• Not all sweets are created equal.
  
  “Anything that’s highly concentrated in just sugar and has zero nutritional value,” is what you want to avoid, Adcock says. “Even fruit juice – that’s kind of a ‘sugar bomb.’ While it does have some nutrients, you’d be better off eating the fruit in its whole form.”
  
  Berries, melons and grapes are good “whole food” options, Adcock says. And dark chocolate is better than regular chocolate, she says. But soda is one morsel to avoid. Replace it with sugar-free beverages.
  
  Another option: “If chips are what you’re after for that crunch, start with a handful of baby carrots. Then finish with 17 chips, which is a typical serving,” Adcock says. “It’s going to fill you up. The carrot has the same crunch as a potato chip, but it has far more nutrients, far less calories and way fewer carbohydrates.”

Know the signs

What should people with diabetes watch for to know if sweets are wreaking havoc on their insides? First, you should always monitor your blood sugar level as advised by your provider. The latest technology is a continuous glucose monitor, which is a patch on your skin with a filament that pricks you every few minutes. Know what numbers are normal for you.

Aside from that, watch for nausea, vomiting, chills, shaking and just a general sick feeling, Adcock says.

“You need to take a dose of insulin that you typically would. Or if you’re not on insulin, let your provider know your blood sugar is high,” Adcock says. “If you’re just feeling blah after overeating and your blood sugar is high, just monitor your blood sugar every half an hour to an hour. After four hours if it’s not coming down, that would be a time to say, ‘Hey, maybe this is more serious.’ Or if you’re having those flu-like symptoms with high blood sugar, then absolutely go to the emergency department.”

Learn more

Read more about preventing and treating diabetes on the OSF HealthCare website.

Interview clips

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Holiday meals bring candy, cookies and other sweets in bountiful amounts. Most of us will chow down with a promise to return to healthy eating tomorrow. But people with diabetes must closely monitor their intake of sugar and carbohydrates at every meal.

What is diabetes? 

Aminat Ogun, MD, is a family medicine physician at OSF HealthCare. She says diabetes is a disorder that affects how your body uses blood sugar. Type 1 diabetes is when an autoimmune reaction stops your body from making insulin. Type 2 is when the body can’t recognize insulin and use it well. Gestational diabetes occurs in pregnant women.

Dr. Ogun says a sedentary lifestyle can be a big risk factor for developing diabetes, so regular exercise is important. Treatment typically involves medication and lifestyle changes.

Moderation is key 

Dr. Ogun says there’s no magic number of cookies you can eat on Christmas and walk away with no diabetes complications. Your nutrition depends on your age, sex, height, weight and more. Plus, she says the brain needs some sugar to function.

Dr. Ogun recommends small portions. Put just a couple of cookies or chocolates on your plate after the holiday meal. Don’t keep going back for more.

Mix in healthier snacks, like fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes. Look for “whole grain” or “whole wheat” on the label. If you’re craving sugar, try yogurt with berries or an apple with peanut butter. Artificial sweeteners are another option to satisfy the sweet tooth, as Dr. Ogun says they do not raise your blood sugar level. For example, mix a sweetener powder into your water.

Dr. Ogun says if you rely on insulin, check your blood sugar level as often as your doctor advises.

“You would have discussed with your doctor the amount of carbohydrates you can take,” Dr. Ogun says. “Try to keep to that level.”

Dr. Ogun admits it may be more difficult for children not to gorge on holiday sweets. So, parents need to keep a close eye and provide motivation to eat healthy.

“If they eat a certain amount of vegetables of fruits in a day, maybe reward with a cookie or snack,” Dr. Ogun suggests.

Learn more 

Symptoms of diabetes include increased urination, increased thirst and blurred vision. More serious cases could bring nausea, vomiting and eye, heart and kidney issues. Nerve damage leading to numbness and tingling in your hands and feet known as diabetic neuropathy is also possible.

“We lose sensation in those areas. People may step on a nail and might not feel it,” Dr. Ogun says. “The issue grows and grows and leads to an ulcer, which makes wound healing harder for diabetic patients.

“That’s when we have to consider amputation,” of a foot, for example, she adds.

Diabetes can also be fatal, Dr. Ogun says.

Read about diabetes care on the OSF HealthCare website. If you have questions about this disorder or have symptoms, talk to your primary care provider.

Interview clips

Previous coverage

OSF HealthCare blog entries on diabetes

OSF HealthCare Newsroom stories on diabetes

We’ve heard that processed and ultraprocessed foods (foods changed from their natural state) can be bad for our health. High levels of trans fat, saturated fat, salt and sugar can be found in things like crackers, chips and soda. That can lead to heart disease, obesity, diabetes and other ailments.

But Rachel Bauman, a registered dietitian at OSF HealthCare, admits it’s sometimes a matter of convenience. Processed foods can be cheaper, easier to cook, have a longer shelf life and have a lower risk of food-borne illness.

So, how can we learn to live with processed foods? Bauman says as you grocery shop, look for healthier options that you can eat in moderation.

• Bread: “If you go to the store and they have a bakery, that bread would be considered processed,” Bauman says. It’s not a bad option.
  
  “If you go to the bread aisle for things more commercially baked, that would be ultraprocessed,” she adds. “With any ultraprocessed bread, I would look for whole grains and a high amount of fiber. That would be the healthiest choice that’s good for heart health and still has shelf life.”
   
• Meat: Freshly cut meat from the grocery deli is an option, but Bauman says the level of processing will vary by the store. Either way, lean toward chicken, turkey and seafood, she says. Steer clear of lots of hot dogs, sausage and dried meat like beef jerky. If you do want some red meat, try a lean cut like round or loin.
   
• Yogurt: Instead of a flavored yogurt with unhealthy sweeteners, opt for plain yogurt and add fresh fruit or honey.
   
• Beans: “Any bean that’s dried and doesn’t have additives would be healthy. Even with canned beans, you can find low sodium varieties,” Bauman says. “You can drain and rinse the beans, and that will cut back the sodium too.”
   
• Hummus: It’s a good source of fiber and heart-healthy fats, Bauman says. Look for hummus made with olive oil, she adds.
   
• Oatmeal and cereal: They’re ultraprocessed, Bauman says. But there are healthier kinds.
  
  “Buy varieties with less sugar and sodium. You’re still getting that fiber from the whole grains,” she says. “You can certainly continue to eat those foods.”

Change is hard but worth it

This subject is something Bauman says she talks with patients about a lot. Old habits are hard to break, as the saying goes. So what’s the advice to, say, swap out the chips for plain yogurt?

“Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. We have to be realistic with our budget and schedule,” Bauman says. “Take small steps. One or two changes a week. Slowly improve the diet. Don’t expect a full change overnight.”

It's also never a bad idea to talk to your primary care provider or dietitian about changing what you eat. And the OSF HealthCare website has plenty of healthy recipes.

Interview clips

Related stories

Read more stories featuring dietitians at OSF HealthCare in Pontiac, Illinois, here.

Food deserts – neighborhoods that don’t have quick access to a grocery store with healthy options – are, sadly, nothing new. They lead to quick stops at the fast-food place or gas station, where healthy food may be at a premium.

But have you ever taken a deep dive into how food deserts can significantly impact a person’s health? And more importantly, what can be done about the problem?

Clare Spires, an exercise physiologist at OSF HealthCare, has some things to keep in mind. Spires also knows about food insecurity firsthand through her support of two OSF programs: Peace Meal, which provides meals in-home or at a central site to people 60 and older, and Smart Meals, which provides a meal kit for a family of four and teaches them to cook.

“We want diets high in fruits, vegetables and fiber and low in saturated fat. Gas stations and fast-food restaurants provide the flip side. They often provide no fruits and vegetables, food high in saturated fat and no good fiber food,” Spires says.

How to navigate food deserts

• Planning meals for the week is key, Spires says. Estimate how much food you’ll need and how much you have to spend.
   
• If you can’t help but go to the eatery or gas station often, choose healthier options.
  
  “I’ve found gas stations are very similar to grocery stores. As long as you stay on the outside perimeter, you’ll stay away from candy and chips that will be down an aisle,” Spires says. “When you walk in, there’s usually some sort of fresh fruit or vegetable right there. Pretzels are really great filling snacks. Nuts are good for you. You have granola bars too.”
  
  One caveat: Spires says to check labels of packaged salads at the gas station. She says they are often heavy on unhealthy preservatives.
  
  At restaurants, opt for a grilled chicken sandwich and water rather than a cheeseburger and soda. Spires also says healthy choices are sometimes hidden on the kid’s menu. Look there for things like apple slices, and make that your side instead of fries.
   
• When you can get to the grocery store, make wise choices. Spires suggests canned fruits and vegetables that have a long shelf life. For vegetables, look for options with low salt. You can also rinse the veggies at home to remove some of the salt. For fruit, look for options that are canned in 100% juice or water, not syrup.
   
• Consider creating a garden at home or advocating for a community garden in your neighborhood. Spires says this allows you to bank up healthy food for the winter. It’s also likely going to be cheaper, she says, given the rising cost of groceries. And working outside provides benefits to your physical and mental health, too.
  
  “It’s a little extra work, but it pays off in the long run,” Spires says.
   
• Talk with a dietitian, nutritionist or wellness expert about making diet changes.

How to help people who are struggling

Spires says everyone can help in the fight against food insecurity. Get to know your community so you know which groups are struggling, such as parents struggling to afford school lunches for their kids. Then, talk to health care groups, social service groups and government groups about changes. For example, it’s not uncommon for residents to encourage their city council to recruit a grocery store to town.

The consequences

Frequent meals from the gas station or drive through can lead to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

“Fast food is notorious for being high in salt. Those foods retain water in our body and can lead to heart and lung problems,” Spires says.

Childhood obesity, Spires adds, is a big problem in the United States and can set kids up for a lifetime of health problems and doctor visits.

Learn more

If you have concerns about food insecurity, contact the OSF hospital near you to see if it offers a program like Peace Meal or Smart Meals. The OSF HealthCare website has healthy recipes.

Social service agencies or schools in your area can also help. Spires says food pantries typically are open to accommodate adults who work different shifts.

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Anal and rectal cancer occur in parts of the body near each other, and they both have prevention steps and time-tested treatments. But they are different types of cancer, says Raman Kumar, MD, a colorectal and general surgeon with OSF HealthCare.

Rectal cancer

Dr. Kumar says the rectum is the last part of the colon, where stool is stored.

Signs of rectal cancer include bleeding, irregular bowel movements (such as the shape of the stool changing and the inability to have a complete bowel movement), weight loss, fatigue and pain in the rectal area.

Rectal cancer impacts men and women roughly equally, and it’s seen “at almost any age,” Dr. Kumar says. If you smoke and eat a lot of red meat and processed food, your risk will go up.

Anal cancer

Dr. Kumar says the anus is where stool comes out. He says signs of anal cancer can be like those of rectal cancer. But often, he says an anal cancer diagnosis starts when a person believes they have hemorrhoids, or when the veins or blood vessels around the anus and lower rectum become swollen and irritated due to extra pressure.

“It turns out not to be a hemorrhoid. It could be a mass or a lesion. You could have some bleeding, especially when you’re wiping with toilet paper or wet wipes,” Dr. Kumar says.

Anal cancer’s prevalence in the United States is “very low,” Dr. Kumar says, with around 8,000 cases per year. Around two-thirds of the cases are women, and it’s more common in age 50 and up.

“The number one cause of anal cancer is HPV, the human papillomavirus,” Dr. Kumar says. “So, it is considered a sexually transmitted disease.”

But he says you don’t have to be sexually active to get anal cancer. Regardless, there are vaccines for the most common HPVs that cause cancer.

Prevention and treatment

Symptoms aside, Dr. Kumar says there’s a must-do for anal and rectal cancer prevention: get on a colonoscopy schedule as advised by your health care provider. A colonoscopy is when a provider inspects your colon and surrounding areas using a tiny camera on the end of a tube. Dr. Kumar says generally, colonoscopies start at age 45. But they could start earlier if you have a family history of cancer.

Other tips: Don’t smoke. Exercise regularly. Eat a healthy diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables and fiber. Thirty grams of fiber per day is a good goal, Dr. Kumar says.

If you do have symptoms of anal or rectal cancer, see a provider to get checked out.

Dr. Kumar says treatment for anal cancer is usually chemotherapy and radiation therapy. He says when treated properly, the typical five-year survival rate is around 80%.

“The only times we would operate on anal cancer are to get the original [cancerous] mass out and if the cancer comes back,” Dr. Kumar explains.

For rectal cancer, Dr. Kumar says around 40% of people can also be treated with chemotherapy and radiation. Others will need surgery to remove the cancer. But Dr. Kumar says medicine has progressed to where people can typically avoid a colostomy, or when a part of the colon is diverted outside the skin to bypass a damaged part of the colon. This is temporary and comes with a bag that collects the waste that would normally leave your body via a bowel movement.

Learn more

Read more about prevention and treatment of rectal and anal cancer on the OSF HealthCare website.

Interview clips

The National Institute on Aging says people age 65 and older are at a higher risk for heart attack, stroke, coronary artery disease and heart failure. Now is the perfect time for people 65+ and their caregivers to arm themselves with the information and supplies needed to keep their heart healthy.

Karen Whitehorn, MD, is an internal medicine physician at OSF HealthCare. Of the many risk factors for heart issues in older people, she points to blood pressure as a big one to watch. Dr. Whitehorn says a healthy blood pressure reading is 130/80 and below.

“If you’re on medication, take your medicine every day,” to keep your blood pressure normal, Dr. Whitehorn says. “Exercise and eat healthy. You want a diet that’s low in sodium and processed food. You want fruits, vegetables, fresh whole grains and lean proteins like turkey, chicken and lean pork.”

An annual physical exam is critical, too.

On exercise, Dr. Whitehorn admits mobility may be an issue for older people. She recommends checking with a health care provider like a physical therapist to see what exercises are right for you. Some workouts can be done sitting down. Low-impact cardio like walking is an option.

“But if any exercises hurt, don’t do them,” Dr. Whitehorn warns. “If you walk too far and you’re having pain, stop walking. You might not want to walk every single day.”

Dr. Whitehorn says if you have high blood pressure, check it at least once a day at home. Ask your health care provider what type of home blood pressure kit is best. If you don’t have high blood pressure, check it every six months. Your provider should also check your blood pressure when you have an appointment. But Dr. Whitehorn says don’t worry if that reading is a little high.

“People get nervous just seeing the doctor. They’re already a little upset because they have to come to the doctor,” Dr. Whitehorn says of the phenomenon known as white coat syndrome. “So when you take their blood pressure, it goes up. Normally, the nurse takes the blood pressure first. Then, after the person has been resting for a while, the doctor takes it again. It usually comes down.”

Other symptoms of heart issues include shortness of breath, chest pain and dizziness. Someone experiencing a heart attack might suffer nausea and neck, arm or shoulder pain. If you experience these symptoms, call 9-1-1 right away.

Your doctor may order a stress test to get a better idea if your symptoms are indeed due to a heart problem. Dr. Whitehorn says one type of stress test puts you on a treadmill while your heart rhythm is monitored.

“If the rhythm is abnormal, it might indicate there’s a problem with your heart,” Dr. Whitehorn says.

For people who can’t tolerate walking or jogging on a treadmill, there is medicine to safely increase their heart rate while a health care provider monitors.

If the results of the stress test warrant further examination, a doctor will perform a cardiac catheterization. They will insert a catheter, usually through the groin, and send it up to your heart to take images using contrast dye. This will show if any of your arteries are narrow and what steps the provider will take next, short term and long term.

Learn more about heart care on the OSF HealthCare website.

Interview clips

B-roll

Back to school season has arrived. In addition to the nightly rituals of homework and making sure things are ready for the next day comes the daily “what will they eat for lunch” discussion. For some, that can be a struggle.

Being hungry has an enormous impact on a student’s ability to learn, so you want to make sure your child has enough to eat during the day. At the same time you want it to be healthy, but they have to want to eat it, too. It can be a delicate balance.

Shelby Miller is a pediatric dietitian with the University of Illinois College of Medicine. When it comes to school lunches, Miller says planning ahead is key. Most schools have a menu that is sent out. She encourages families to look at those menus and decide if what’s offered is something their child will eat or not. If they don’t eat lunch they can come home hungry and either eat a huge snack and won’t eat dinner. Or they just eat all night, which can lead to obesity.

Miller says it’s okay to send your child with some healthy extras to go along with the cafeteria lunch.

“If it’s chicken patty sandwich with green beans and a fruit and a milk and the kids like the sandwich and they like the fruit, but maybe they don’t like green beans, send them with some carrots. You can kind of fill that hole with something else,” Miller suggests. “Or if they don’t ever like the sides that go with the main dish, and you want them to have that main thing, whether it be the chicken sandwich or the cheeseburger or the pizza, it’s okay to always send something extra.”

If you pack your child’s lunch, Miller says to try to balance it with all of the food groups including fruits and vegetables, and don’t go overboard on grains. She says if your child doesn’t like the low-fat white milk offered, go for water. Even using flavor drops is okay. The occasional chocolate or strawberry milk often sold by schools is okay on occasion. Think of it as a once-a-week treat.

When it comes to high schoolers, one of the biggest issues is them skipping lunch altogether because they can’t get to the lunchroom with enough time to eat or they head straight to the a la cart lines with pizza, chips or sugary treats. Miller says while those are okay every once in a while, they shouldn’t an everyday occurrence.

“A lot of the high schools in the area do have like a salad bar option, so promoting that a couple times a week. But again it’s okay to have nachos every once in a while. It’s completely okay to have that pizza every once in a while. So coming up with one, maybe two days a week that you let yourself have that a la carte option. Otherwise packing a lunch, having that standard lunch that includes fruits and vegetables or picking from the salad bar line is going to be key,” said Miller.

Another key to making sure your child eats healthy is to make sure adults are setting a good example.

Interview clips

B-roll

A TikTok video has gone viral claiming only eating fruits for 72 hours can provide miraculous benefits. The video from the “HealthyToMe” account, which has over 8 million views, shows an AI-generated “doctor” who makes numerous claims regarding this diet. It also includes a widely-used AI-generated voice to read the text on the screen.

Ashley Simper, manager of Dietetic Services with OSF HealthCare, breaks down the claims and what is myth vs. fact.

Claim #1: After 12 hours, you will experience improved digestion. Your body will start to digest and absorb the nutrients present in the fruits. The dietary fibers will reduce bloating, relieve your swollen belly, and alleviate stomachaches.

“Fiber is important to help keep our digestive system moving. But if you have a sudden increase in fiber in your diet, as you would if you ate all fruits for three days straight, it can have the opposite effect. The claims to reduce bloating can be quite the opposite. It can actually promote bloating, abdominal cramping and pain,” Simper says. “What we would recommend is a slow increase in fiber as well as making sure you’re having adequate fluids (eight 8-ounce glasses of water daily), we don’t want to do something like that overnight.”

Claim #2: After 24 hours, you will start burning bad fats. Your body will enter a state of nutritional ketosis, meaning it will begin using stored fats as a source of energy.

“The claim that it’s going to burn bad fats through ketosis, which is pulling your fat from your stored energy, is completely false. You have to have the absence of carbohydrates in the diet to induce ketosis. Fruit is a carbohydrate-containing food. You’re not going to be inducing ketosis with an all-fruit diet in three days,” Simper says.

Simper adds that she does not recommend ketogenetic diets for weight loss.

“It is not sustainable, and it can lead to nutrient deficiencies. The best way to burn body fat is to reduce calories and increase physical activity,” Simper says. “If you lose weight within three days on an all-fruit diet, it’s likely going to be water weight. You can sometimes lose lean mass at the same time, we don’t want to lose that muscle mass.”

Claim #3: After 48 hours, you will experience reduced illness. Your immune system will be stimulated by the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants present in the fruits.

“Nutrients in fruit, like antioxidants and fiber can help boost your immunity and reduce illness, this certainly will not happen overnight,” Simper says. “What’s important for your overall health is to eat a variety of foods, consistently for days or even months, to see those benefits.”

Claim #4: After 72 hours, your organs will undergo detoxification. Your body will have benefited from a digestive break and detoxification. You will have more energy, clearer skin and an anti-aging effect.

“Detoxification of our organs happens naturally in the body. We have built-in mechanisms that help rid our body of waste. Fruit is high in water, so it can help you stay hydrated and flush some of the waste of the body out through the kidneys, but this is not some kind of miracle detox that happens when you eat fruit for three days,” Simper says.

Simper adds her dietetic practice does not promote anything that claims to detoxify our bodies.

“Especially things like over-the-counter supplements, those can be very dangerous,” Simper adds.

While this diet could improve your energy temporarily, it’s still a low-calorie diet, which Simper says can make you feel more sluggish.

The video goes on to claim the best fruits to include in this “fasting period” are antioxidant rich berries, apples, oranges and grapefruits, kiwis and pomegranates.

Simper calls this 72-hour fruit diet an “overly restricted fad diet.”

“This has some very far-reaching and false claims. Although it’s not going to be dangerous to someone to eat only fruits for 72 hours, if you’re considered a somewhat healthy individual. What’s important is adding a variety of foods in your diet, reducing your calories, and pairing it with physical activity to see those long-term solutions for your health.”

If you have any questions about your diet, you can speak with an OSF HealthCare dietitian. Find providers and locations here: https://healthlibrary.osfhealthcare.org/Search/85,P01156

Video Interview Clips

You see the phrase as you browse the grocery aisle: helps lower cholesterol.

But have you looked into what that means for you? And more importantly, is this something my children need to worry about?

The answer to the second question is yes, says Tricia Herman, a cardiac rehabilitation registered nurse at OSF HealthCare in Danville, Illinois. And it’s a perfect time to change lifestyles to avoid cholesterol problems as we enter a holiday eating season where you may be chowing down on unhealthy food.

What is cholesterol?

Herman says cholesterol is a fatty, waxy substance that’s responsible for building cells in our body. It also helps produce hormones and vitamin D.

“When we have our cholesterol checked, it’s not just total cholesterol that we’re really looking at. We’re looking at three different levels,” Herman says.

“The bad cholesterol is LDL [low-density lipoprotein]. You can consider it lousy. The good cholesterol is HDL [high-density lipoprotein]. And triglycerides is another level that we take a look at.”

LDL values should be less than 100 milligrams per deciliter. HDL should be greater than 60 milligrams per deciliter. And triglycerides should be less than 150 milligrams per deciliter.

Be proactive at all ages

The average person doesn’t need to memorize those numbers. Herman recommends that when you get your yearly physical, get a blood test to measure cholesterol as well. You’ll need to fast for 12 hours before the test, so Herman says to do it first thing in the morning if possible.

After the results come in, your health care provider will come up with a course of action, if necessary. That may involve follow up lab work or medicine.

What you should think about daily: a healthy lifestyle.

For kids, try for 60 minutes of exercise per day. That could be as simple as walking, Herman says.

And cut down on less healthy food choices like fried or fatty foods, sweets and red meat.

Or as Herman puts it: don’t brake and hit the drive thru because it’s the quick and easy option. Keep your foot on the gas.

“Eating habits are the hardest thing for a lot of people,” Herman says. “It’s the way we were brought up. What was served at our table when we were younger become habits we grow up with.”

Instead, try lean meats like fish or poultry. Bake, grill or broil your meat instead of frying it. Use whole grain bread instead of white bread.

“Create a meal plan for your child that has lots of fruits and vegetables,” Herman says. “Don’t have them eat on the go. Have them sit down and eat so it’s more meaningful and thoughtful.”

The consequences

High cholesterol leads to plaque building in arteries of the heart, brain or legs.

“You’re at risk for stroke if it’s happening in your brain or even in your carotid arteries [in your neck],” Herman says. “You’re at risk for heart disease if it’s happening in your heart. And peripheral artery disease if it happens in your legs.”

Herman notes that high cholesterol often doesn’t come with symptoms until it’s too late. So talk to your primary care provider if you have concerns.

Interview Clips

Previous coverage

What you can eat can help improve your cholesterol

The good and bad about cholesterol