Heart disease is one of the killers of men and women in the United States. Some lifestyle factors such as maintaining a steady weight and regular exercise are important to maintaining a healthy heart, but also the foods we choose. A healthy diet is one of the best weapons to feel healthy in the fight against heart disease. In fact, choosing to follow a healthy heart diet can reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke by up to 80% (helpguide.org).

If you don't know where to start, it's best to start by making simple changes in your diet and nutrition. To keep everything straight and understand the reasons behind the various nutritional recommendations, consider some of the following tips.


Pay attention to the fat you eat

Fats are essential in your diet. In other words, you need it! However, there are types of fats that can adversely affect heart health. Specifically, trans fat and saturated fat are two types of fat. These two types of fat affect blood cholesterol levels by lowering HDL cholesterol (also called good cholesterol) levels while increasing blood LDL cholesterol (also known as bad cholesterol). There is. If the HDL and LDL cholesterol levels are not in the normal range or imbalanced, this will cause excess cholesterol to accumulate on the walls of the blood vessels, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Foods that contain saturated fat include fatty beef, bacon, sausage, lamb, pork butter, cheese and other dairy products made from whole milk or 2% milk.

Transfers occur naturally and are made artificially. Many fried foods and packaged products contain high amounts of trans fat.

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that adults should limit their saturated fat consumption to 5-6% of total calories. Transfer intake should be less than 1% of total caloric intake.


Say no to salt

Like fat, sodium is an important mineral. Sodium is required for many physical functions, such as water content, acid-base balance, and muscle transduction signal transduction. However, too much sodium poses a risk. Elevated sodium in the bloodstream increases water retention in blood vessels and increases blood pressure. Over time, if high blood pressure does not go away, it can put a lot of pressure on your heart, cause plaque buildup, and eventually increase your risk of heart attack or stroke.

Sodium is a tricky substance and needs a little more effort and attention to detail when trying to minimize it. The best place to start when trying to reduce sodium is to check the nutrition label on your product. Companies are required by law to notify the amount of sodium and other ingredients in their products. As mentioned earlier, sodium is sneaky and can be added to large quantities of food without your knowledge.

The preferred place to hide sodium is the food and food ordered by the restaurant. In fact, more than 75% of sodium intake comes from straight processed foods and restaurant foods (wow!). Therefore, you do not need extra salt in your dish to help reduce sodium intake when choosing to eat or take.

These tips may seem daunting, but your sodium intake is significantly reduced and your heart is happy. The American Heart Association (AHA) does not recommend 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day. It is the size of a teaspoon of salt (1,500 milligrams is also recommended for those with chronic disease and those over 50 years old). !! !! Implementing these tips will not only help you meet this recommendation but will reduce your risk of high blood pressure, stroke, heart failure, osteoporosis, gastric cancer, kidney disease, and more.


Don't skip vegetables (or fruits)

As many of us know, consuming fruits and vegetables is an important part of a healthy diet. Reduced consumption of agricultural products is associated with poor health and the risk of major diseases. In fact, there are an estimated 3.9 million deaths worldwide due to not eating fruits and vegetables properly (2017). Therefore, adding fruits and vegetables as part of your daily diet cannot be ruled out.

Adding fruits and vegetables is so easy! Whether they are frozen, canned, or fresh — everything is quite nutritious. If you have trouble adding fruits and vegetables to your diet, start slowly. Gradually increase your serving of fruits and vegetables throughout the day. Currently, if you eat only one vegetable or fruit in a meal, add one service to lunch and another. Slow down in your dish.

The best thing about eating fruits and vegetables — they are all good! The AHA recommends filling at least half the plate with fruit and vegetables to fill the recommended 4½ cups of fruits and vegetables per day. This recommendation may seem impossible, but keep in mind. All agri-product counts are canned, fresh or frozen varieties that help achieve goals, improve food and health.


Whole-grain, processed-grain, dietary fiber-oh!

First, let's understand grain, processed grain and fiber. The grain contains a complete kernel, which consists of three parts: bran, germ and milk and provides all kinds of important nutrients such as vitamin B group, folic acid, fiber, iron and magnesium. On the other hand, processed grains are crushed and processed, emptying the grains from the aforementioned nutrients.

There is a couple of types of fiber, insoluble and soluble. Increased dietary fiber intake is associated with lower levels of "bad" cholesterol (remember LDL cholesterol) and lower risk of heart disease. Another bonus is that high fiber foods help you feel full and have fewer calories. Dietary fiber foods are usually whole grains! Therefore, increasing the consumption of grains means increasing the consumption of fiber. Do you want to kill two birds with one stone and switch to more grains?

Adding grains can improve blood cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, obesity and type 2 diabetes. AHA recommends that half of the grains you eat are whole grains and consume 28 grams of dietary fiber per day. These include foods such as whole-grain bread, brown rice, whole grain oat barley and whole-grain barley.


Bustle with protein

For many of us, meat is an important source of protein. However, popular meat sources such as hamburgers, steaks and bacon, are rich in protein, which is a major source of saturated fat (note: "bad" fat). High amounts of these proteins increase the risk of obesity, high cholesterol, plaque buildup and many health complications such as heart disease and stroke. Moving to a better source of protein for the heart can significantly reduce these risks and help maintain a good diet for the heart.

Changing the "meat-eating" habit is difficult, but it doesn't have to be impossible. A simple tip to regulate protein and meat intake is to treat meat as part of your diet, not as a main event. Try to limit the meat to 6 ounces, or 2 servings per day (hint: 1 meat serving = trump deck size).

When it comes to sources of protein that are good for heart health, the AHA recommends including trimmed meat such as fish, shellfish, skinless chicken and various pork fillets. Getting started with these alternative protein sources in your diet can help maintain proper heart health.


Remember that it takes simple steps to protect your heart and overall health.

A healthy diet for the heart is your biggest protection against heart disease and strokes. Start today by taking advantage of these heart health tips and continually assessing your nutrition. Do not allow heart disease to dominate your world, make appropriate changes to your lifestyle and health goals.


Which of the above tips fit your health goals?

Bonnie R. Giller is a registered and qualified nutritionist, qualified diabetes care instructor and qualified intuitive dietary consultant. She helps people with chronic diets, emotional eating habits, diabetes and other medical conditions break down food spells and regain the Whole Body Trust Proving.


Reference:By Bonnie R Giller