• Quit Smoking
• Get Sensible Exercise
• Get Tested for Diabetes
• Control High Blood Pressure
• Form a Partnership for Health
• Keep Alcohol Use Moderate
• Strive for Balance
• Maintain a Health Body Weight

• What is Blood Pressure? What Happens When It's High?
• How is Blood Pressure Checked and What Do the Numbers Mean?
• What Causes High Blood Pressure?
• Preventing High Blood Pressure
• If You Have High Blood Pressure

• Activities and Calories Used in Exercise
• Sample Walking Program
• Test Your Physical Activity and Heart Disease IQ
• Successful Exercise at a Glance

• Low-fat Cooking
• Eating Right in Every Location
• Diet tips at a Glance
• Calculate Your Body Mass Index
• Using the Food Label
• What is Cholesterol and Why Does it Matter?
• What Your Cholesterol Numbers Mean
• What Affects Blood Cholesterol Levels
• What Can You Do to Lower Your Blood Cholesterol
• Eating Right and Staying Active
• A Daily Food Guide
• Shopping the Heart-Healthy Way

The National Institutes of Health and the National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute, have devised two eating plans, the Step I and Step II Diets, aimed at lowering LDL cholesterol. The goals of the Step I Diet are to limit cholesterol intake to less than 300 mg per day and fat intake to 30% or less of the day’s total calories, with only 8% to 10% of calories from saturated fat. The more aggressive Step II Diet limits cholesterol intake to less than 200 mg per day and fat intake to 30% or less of the day’s total calories, with less than 7% of total calories from saturated fat. Saturated fats, which are solid at room temperature, derive from beef, pork, lamb, chicken, turkey, butter, egg yolks, coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil. Bacon grease, for example, is saturated fat.  

The guidelines for each of these diets are listed below. 

Step I Diet Guidelines -- you should eat:  

• 8-10% of the day's total calories from saturated fat. 

• 30 percent or less of the day’s total calories from fat

• Less than 300 milligrams of dietary cholesterol a day. 

• Limit sodium intake to 2400 milligrams a day. 

• Just enough calories to achieve or maintain a healthy weight and  reduce your blood cholesterol level. (Ask your doctor or registered dietitian what is a reasonable calorie level for you.) 

Step II Diet Guidelines -- you should eat:  

• Less than 7% of the day's total calories from saturated fat. 

• 30 percent or less of the day’s total calories from fat. 

• Less than 200 milligrams of dietary cholesterol a day. 

• Limit sodium intake to 2400 milligrams a day. 

• Just enough calories to achieve or maintain a healthy weight and reduce your blood cholesterol level. (Ask your doctor or registered dietitian what is a reasonable calorie level for you.) 

The following table is a list of food groups and servings recommended daily by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in the Step 1 and Step II diets.