What is a “heart healthy” diet? A heart healthy diet is high in fiber, fruits, and vegetables, and low in saturated fat, trans-fats, added sugars, and salt. Not only does this healthy eating pattern help to prevent heart disease, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, it may also reduce your risk of cancer and other diseases.
BELOW ARE THREE WAYS TO MAKE YOUR DIET MORE HEALTHY:
1. INCREASE FIBER: Foods that contain fiber are excellent for heart health! The fiber in plant foods binds to cholesterol in the blood and helps remove it from your system, reducing your risk of cardiovascular disease. Research suggests that fiber can reduce your risk of gastrointestinal cancers. Fiber also helps you stay full longer, so eating a high-fiber diet can help you to reach and maintain a healthy weight.
Foods to increase:
2. CHOOSE HEALTHY FATS: Choosing foods that contain healthy fats instead of saturated fat and trans-fats has been shown to greatly reduce your risk of heart disease, which also reduces your risk of a heart attack and stroke.
Foods to include:
Foods to limit:
3. DECREASE SALT: Eating a high-sodium diet (more than 2,300mg per day) has been linked to an increased risk for high blood pressure, and can worsen blood pressure in those who already have hypertension or heart failure. More than 70% of the salt in our diet comes from packaged and processed foods, so by choosing whole foods, you can dramatically reduce your sodium intake. When choosing packaged foods, look for low-sodium options, and aim for less than 230mg of sodium per serving.
Foods to include:
Foods to limit:
