Create a Heart-Healthy Diet by Northside Hospital Heart disease can start with few signs or noticeable symptoms. The choices you make today, including what you eat, can help you prevent or manage heart disease. Committing to a hearthealthy diet decreases your risk for cardiovascular disease and strengthens your heart. Why does food play a role in preventing heart disease? Your arteries are like semi-flexible pipes that supply oxygen to the heart and allow blood to flow throughout your body. When you are born, these pipes are clean and clear, but over time, cholesterol and fat can harden and cause plaque buildup, preventing oxygen from reaching the heart. You can keep these pipes clean and prevent high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease with these heart-healthy diet tips. Think more plants, less animals. Fill your plate with veggies, fruits and whole grains. Plant-based foods protect your heart without the negative effects of fat. Look for alternative sources of protein such as beans instead of meat. Tip: Use frozen fruits and vegetables, but avoid canned and processed products, which tend to be higher in sodium. Reduce sodium. Beware of hidden sodium found in packaged foods and restaurant meals. Sodium can increase blood pressure. You can add flavor with hearthealthy ingredients such as cinnamon, garlic, peppermint, berries and sage. Tip: Talk to a
dietician about lowering your sodium intake and chances for high blood pressure with the DASH eating plan. Cook-in instead of dining out. Buy a cookbook with low-fat recipes and learn how to make tasty meals without the added salt, fat or cholesterol. Look for recipes that include hearthealthy ingredients such as salmon, soy, spinach, berries, nuts, lentils, whole grains and avocados. Tip: Cook once, eat twice – double the recipe and refrigerate or freeze the extra ingredients for future meals. Don’t skip meals. Starting your day off with breakfast helps prevent you from feeling famished at lunchtime, giving you more energy and helping you make better food choices. Tip: Incorporate healthy snacks such as granola bars, hummus, peanut butter and low-fat cheese to keep you from raiding the vending machine in the afternoon. Load up on Omega-3’s. Omega-3 fatty acids decrease risk of arrhythmias (abnormal heartbeats), which can lead to sudden death, according to the American Heart Association. In addition, these fatty acids found in fish, nuts and leafy veggies, decrease triglyceride levels, decrease plaque buildup and can lower blood pressure. Tip: To increase omega-3 consumption, consider taking a fish oil supplement or add ground flax seeds to yogurt, oatmeal and baked goods.
Around WALTON | July 2012
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