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Hill Country Memorial Wellness Center has scheduled three upcoming nutrition classes to show how to manage dietary fats and salts for better health. All the classes will begin at 12:30 p.m. at the Wellness Center.

The first session, “Managing Blood Cholesterol” will be May 28. Discussions will center on how to manage the kinds and amounts of fats in a diet. “We’ll be talking about the role that dietary fiber, omega-3 fatty acids and plant stanols play in reducing cholesterol levels,” said Kim Thornton, class instructor, registered dietitian and diabetes program manager at the Wellness Center. Plant stanols are compounds or chemicals in plants that have a cholesterol-lowering effect. “We’ll also talk about how to easily incorporate these components into a daily diet.”

The second session, “Reducing Blood Triglycerides,” will be June 11. “Heart disease is the biggest killer of those who have diabetes, and a diabetes diagnosis carries with it a greater risk of heart disease,” Ms. Thornton said. “Elevated blood triglycerides are an independent risk factor for heart disease and can make the blood thicker and sticky.” The class will look specifically at elevated blood triglycerides and how to reduce them.

The third session, “Blood Pressure and Sodium Management,” will be June 18. “High blood pressure is a common condition in people with diabetes, and many are keeping their blood pressure under control with medications,” Ms. Thornton said. “However, blood pressure can be managed with fewer medications or often with diet and lifestyle alone.” The classes are $10 each. To register or to learn more about these educational opportunities, call the Wellness Center at 997-1355.