Diet is important – I am sure this is nothing that you have not heard already. Yet you may still not take the time to improve your diet. Your diet and your heart health are directly related. By improving your diet you can improve your heart health.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death. Weight problems continue to grow which increases the risk of many of the major diseases including: coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure, type2 diabetes, and stroke. Yet there is hope, small changes to what you eat and your activity levels can make a difference to your heart health. By implementing a plan of both healthy eating and increased physical activity you can help reduce your weight and gain control of your heart health.
The best thing you can do for a heart healthy diet is to focus on consuming foods that come are plant based. These include fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
Consuming a small amount of lean meats, fish, skinless poultry, reduced fat dairy products, and moderate amounts of polyunsaturated or monounsaturated oils and fats makes up a healthy diet and helps to prevent and reduce heart disease. Here are some ideas for beginning your heart healthy eating plan.
When making your plate of food, fill half of the plate with vegetables. A fourth of the plate should be lean protein and then a fruit at the end.
Choose wholegrain instead of white varieties of bread products.
When you are eating poultry, remove the skin. Plus you only want to eat a 4 oz serving.
Only use low fat dairy products – staying at the 2% and lower level. Dairy products such as cheese have lots of calories so only use in moderation.
Try and consume fish twice a week, but not fried versions. Baked fish is the best for your heart (just don’t put too much butter on it!)
Steam, boil, bake, grill, foods rather than fry.
When in doubt use only whole foods, nothing processed, to make your meals.
Increase your consumption of water and reduce your intake of salt.
Implementing a new nutrition plan is a very hard thing to do. Yet it can be done and the rewards of good health are worth the effort.
Make the changes today and you will be on the way to saying goodbye to heart disease and saying hello to a healthy heart.