A Heart Healthy Diet

Alanna McBride
Nov.28, 2012
Nutrition
A heart healthy diet

A heart healthy diet is a diet where one watches intake of saturated and trans fats, as well as excess sodium. Heart Healthy means eating a diet that is low in sodium, cholesterol, and fats. Foods that best meet this requirement are whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. A diet high in sodium, fats, and cholesterol is associated with high blood pressure, increased weight, and elevated blood cholesterol levels. With these factors at hand, it may lead to coronary artery disease. Coronary artery disease causes roughly 1.2 million heart attacks each year. Out of all of those heart attacks, more than forty percent of those attacks will cause death. According to the American Heart Association, over seven million Americans have suffered a heart attack in their lifetime.
A heart healthy diet would be recommended for everyone to follow, but truth is told we don’t!! But Americans 51 or older, African Americans of any age, and people with high blood pressure, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease, should restrict their self to a heart healthy diet. By doing so, it’s all about what you eat. One way to make sure you’re adhering to healthy guidelines is by using the nutrition labels on the packaged foods you buy. Products labels give you the power to compare foods quickly and easily so you can judge which products best fit into a heart healthy diet. Maintain a healthy weight. Heart disease is more common in people who are overweight or obese. The American Heart Association also recommends 30 minutes of walking every day.
When you choose a heart healthy diet, it’s a lot of things to consider when it comes to your food you consider. Researchers suggest that a soy protein (Silk Vanilla-soymilk) may offer a natural way to help lower cholesterol than diary milk. You have to pick the right fats. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can help you when eaten right. Monounsaturated fats are found in foods such as nuts and seeds, olives, and avocados and polyunsaturated fats are found in foods like fish, soybeans and sunflower and safflower oils. Try to eat a lot of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. These sorts of foods are filled with protective antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fibers. It is also good to eat plenty of fish. You should eat fish like salmon, trout and herring. There are good sources of heart-healthy omega-3s.
The foods you eat play a big role in your heart healthy diet. There a lot of foods you should avoid. Tran’s fats, which are listed as partially hydrogenated oils, are found in a lot of foods, especially fried foods and baked goods, as well as stick margarines and shortenings. Avoid cooking with lard and bacon fat. Limit your salt intake. Avoid 1%, 2% and whole milk. Also avoid meats with 96% or less fat, red meats, foods with high butter fat and other animal fats, such as cheese, full fat yogurt, sauces, sugar, ice cream, candy, baked goods, and high fat snacks. Avoiding these foods would keep you on track with your heart healthy diet.
Eating the right foods is the first step to a healthier life. But if you make changes in aspect of your life is a great method to help stay on track with your heart healthy diet. If you are a smoker, you should consider stopping. Non-smokers don’t get exposed to smoke. You should exercise regularly if you don’t already. Achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Excess weight put a strain on your heart. You should also manage stress as well as you can. Poorly controlled stress and anger can lead to heart attacks. One last thing to consider when it comes to you managing your heart healthy diet is managing your HEALTH. Managing your health and going to your yearly routine check-ups and meeting all your doctor appointments will keep you in the light on your health and every symptom that comes with heart disease.