Heart Disease And Diet A major factor in reducing your risk of heart disease, is a healthy diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain foods, fish, and lean meats. It is important to remember that prevention is always the best medicine. Subscribing to a healthy diet and lifestyle reduces your risk of heart disease, heart attacks, and stroke.

Conditions that lead to heart disease:

*high cholesterol

*high blood pressure

*obesity

*type 2 diabetes

*osteoporosis

*some forms of cancer

Food Sources for a healthy diet:

Fresh fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Most are low in fat, calories, sodium, and cholesterol.

Dairy products and milk provide protein, calcium, the B vitamins niacin and riboflavin, and the vitamins A and D. Use skim, 1/2%, or 1% milk. Select cheeses, yogurt, and buttermilk that contain no fat or the low-fat variety.

Eat low-fat breads, cereals, crackers, rice, pasta, and starchy vegetables (like peas, potatoes, corn, winter squash, and lima beans). These foods are high in the B vitamins, iron, and fiber. The are also low in fat and cholesterol.

Stay away from butter rolls, cheese crackers, croissants, cream sauces for pasta and vegetables, and cream soups.

Lean meats such as poultry, seafood, dried peas, lentils, nuts, and eggs are good sources of protein, the B vitamins, iron, and other vitamins and minerals. Although seafood is mentions, remember that lobster and shrimp are high in cholesterol.

Eat skinless poultry, very lean beef, lamb, veal, and pork, lentils, legumes, dried beans and peas, egg whites, and wild game.

Avoid duck, goose, marbled meats (such as a ribeye steak), prime cuts of high-fat meats, organ meats such as kidneys and liver, and prepared meats such as sausage, frankfurters, and high-fat lunch meats.

Oils and fats are high in fat and calories. All types of fat should be avoided, but some fats are better choices than others. Always eat in moderation. Use margarines made from any of these oils in their tub or squeeze form.

Salad dressings and mayonnaise should be made with the recommended oils:

• safflower


• soybean


• corn


• sesame


• olive


• canola


• avocado


• cottonseed

Seeds, nuts, olives, avocados, and peanut butter are also acceptable in moderate amounts.

These oils are not recommended because they contain saturated fats:

• butter


• lard


• bacon


• shortening


• sour cream


• whipping cream


• coconut


• palm


• palm kernel oil

For children over the age of 2 years, the recommendation are practically the same as adults. Children and teens must have enough calories to support growth and activity level while they maintain an appropriate body weight. Children following a diet low in fats may have a hard time maintaining desired levels of growth. Consultation with a physician or dietitian is recommended.

Recommendations:Maintain your ideal body weight Limit your intake of foods high in calories or low in nutritionEat five or more servings per day of fruits and vegetables. Eat six or more servings per day of whole grain productsLimit foods high in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, and partially hydrogenated oils. Reduce or avoid saturated fat when possible. Saturated fat raise your cholesterol levels. Choose liquid or tub margarine, not the stick form. Eat less than 300 mg of dietary cholesterol daily. (For example, one egg yolk contains an average of 213 mg.) Limit the amount of salt (less than 2400 mg per day) you eat. Check labels for salt content.Walk for at least 30 minutes a day. It does a body good.Limit the amount of alcohol you drink. Women, no more than one alcoholic/day; Men should not drink more than two.

Tips On Good Eating:

• Eating no more than 6 cooked ounces of meat, poultry, and fish daily.


• Use skinless turkey, chicken, fish, or lean red meat to reduce the amount of saturated fat in your diet.


• Trim all the visible fat prior to cooking the meat.


• Eat two servings of fish per week, either baked, broiled, roasted, steamed, boiled, or microwave rather than fried.


• Have meatless meals a few times a week


• To reduce high cholesterol, do not use more than 3 - 4 egg yolks per week, including eggs used in cooking.


• Eat less organ meat (such as liver) and shellfish (such as shrimp and lobster). They are high in cholesterol.


• Reduce salt used in prepared foods such as canned soups and vegetables, cured meats, and some frozen meals.

Over all, eating a healthy diet can prevent disease from taking control of your life. You can make lifestyle changes that will make a huge difference in the quality of yourlife, as well as the lives of your family, and other loved ones. Make a change today and step up into optimal health for the long term.

by Barb Hicks, RN/LMT