One way to start improving your heart health immediately is to increase your intake of vegetables and fruit. Eating 5 to 10 servings every day may help reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke.
Eat Healthy to Help Prevent Heart Disease.What kills people most? Heart disease. It’s the No.1 cause of death in the world.You can lower your chances of getting heart disease. One way is to choose foods carefully. For a healthy heart, eat:
• less fat
• less sodium
• fewer calories
• more fiber.
When we eat more calories than we need, we gain weight. Being overweight can cause heart disease.
Eating fiber from fruits, vegetables, and grains may help lower your chances of getting heart disease.
Some fats are more likely to cause heart disease—saturated fats and trans fats. These fats are usually found in foods from animals, such as milk, cheese, and butter. They also are found in foods with palm and coconut oils. Eat less of these foods.
Eating less sodium can help lower some people’s blood pressure. This can help reduce the risk of heart disease.Sodium is something we need in our diets, but most of us eat too much of it. Much of the sodium we eat comes from salt we add to our food at the table or that food companies add to their foods. So, avoid adding salt to foods at the table.
Vegetables and fruits are good sources of vitamins and minerals; they are low in calories and rich in dietary fiber. A diet high in soluble fiber, the kind found in fruits and vegetables, can help lower your cholesterol and reduce your risk of heart disease. Vegetables and fruits also contain substances found in plants that may help prevent cardiovascular disease. Eating more fruits and vegetables may help you eat less high-fat foods, such as meat, cheese and snack foods.
Featuring vegetables and fruits in your diet may not be as difficult as you might think. Keep carrots, cauliflower and broccoli washed and cut in your refrigerator for quick snacks. Keep apples, bananas, grapes or peaches in a bowl in your kitchen so that you'll remember to eat them. Choose recipes that have vegetables or fruits as the main ingredient, such as vegetable stir-fry or fresh fruit mixed into salads. Even frozen or canned fruits and vegetables are good choices, provided they don't have lots of added sodium or sugar. Don't smother vegetables in butter, dressings, creamy sauces or other high-fat garnishes.
Whole grains are good sources of fiber and other nutrients. Whole grains are also a source of vitamins and minerals, such as thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin E, magnesium, phosphorus, selenium, zinc and iron. Various nutrients found in whole grains play a role in regulating blood pressure and heart health.
You can increase the amount of whole grains in a heart-healthy diet by making simple substitutions. For example, choose breads made from 100 percent whole grain instead of those with refined white flour, whole-wheat pasta over regular pasta and brown rice instead of white rice. Select high-fiber cereals for breakfast, such as bran flakes, oats, or shredded wheat, instead of sugar-sweetened cereals, muffins or doughnuts. And select whole-wheat flour rather than white flour for baking at home.
Another easy way to add whole grains to your diet is ground flaxseed. Flaxseeds are small brown seeds that are high in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, which can lower your total blood cholesterol. You can easily grind the seeds in a coffee grinder or food processor and add them to your diet by stirring a teaspoon of them into yogurt, applesauce or hot cereal.
Practice moderation.
In addition to knowing which foods to eat, you'll also need to know how much you should eat. Overloading your plate, taking seconds and eating until you feel stuffed can lead to eating more calories, fat and cholesterol than you should. Portions served in restaurants are often more than anyone needs. Keep track of the number of servings you eat — and use proper serving sizes — to help control your portions.
When cooking vegetables, it is best to use fresh produce. The best methods of cooking is to steam, roast or grill to preserve as many nutrients as possible.
Don’t always have access to fresh produce? Frozen and canned are excellent alternatives, since they have about the same nutritional value as fresh. When buying frozen or canned fruit, look for the products with no added sugar or syrup. If you’re using canned vegetables, rinse them under water to remove much of the added salt.A heart-healthy diet is also about balance.This makes room on your plate for servings of vegetables, fruits and whole grains.
Diet Tips for a Healthy Heart:-
.Eat a diet low in saturated fat, especially animal fats and palm and coconut oils.
• Add foods to your diet that are high in monounsaturated fats, such as
olive oil, canola oil.Safflower oil and corn oil are high in polyunsaturated fats.
• Choose a diet moderate in salt and sodium.
• Maintain or improve your weight.
• Eat plenty of grain products, fruits, and vegetables.
Read the Food Label.The food label can help you eat less fat and sodium, fewer calories, and
more fiber.
The most important thing is:-
Enjoy what you eat. Health doesn't need sacrifice.