A heart healthy diet offers numerous health benefits. When you keep your heart healthy, you reduce the risk of heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, high blood sugars, and increased body weight. Other than regular exercise and a reduction of salt intake, here are some other nutritional tips which promote heart health.
Eating a heart healthy diet starts with the consumption of fish. Fish is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acid which aid in reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke. Vegetables, fruit, whole grains and beans also aid in maintain a healthy diet. You should also remember to choose your fat calories wisely and to limit your total fat intake. Also, this may be difficult for some people, but eliminating saturated fats and trans-fats from your diet can go a long way in heart health. Foods such as butter, salad dressing, fried foods, snack foods, and sweets put a big strain on the heart. They are loaded with unnecessary fats which clog the arteries and cause numerous heart problems. When you do chose to use added fat while cooking, try using mono-saturated of polyunsaturated fats, such as canola, olive and peanut oil.
When it comes down to protein, be sure that you don’t solely rely upon fat dairy and meat products. Although these items may be rich in protein, they are also rich in unhealthy fats. So try to get a lot of your protein from more natural food sources, such as nuts, fish and soy. Also remember to watch your cholesterol intake. Many foods are extremely high in cholesterol and they increase the chance of developing numerous heart diseases. Check your cholesterol levels regularly and discuss proper cholesterol intake with your doctor. So if you want to help your heart, try to incorporate these foods into your diet.
