- Heart disease is the #1 killer of both
women and men. Eating a heart-healthy diet is key to help reduce your risk
factors for heart disease, like high blood pressure, high blood
cholesterol, overweight, and obesity. It also will help you control these
conditions if you already have them.
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o Choose foods low in saturated and trans fats.
Foods low in saturated fat
include fruits, vegetables, whole grain foods, and low-fat or nonfat dairy
products. Try to avoid commercially fried and baked goods such as crackers
and cookies.
o Choose a diet moderate in total fat. Keep total fat intake between 20 to 35
percent of calories. You don't have to eliminate all fat from your diet!
This will give you enough calories to satisfy your hunger, which can help
you to eat fewer calories, stay at a healthy weight, and lower your blood
cholesterol level. To keep your total fat intake moderate, try to substitute
unsaturated fat for saturated fat.
o Choose foods low in cholesterol. Try to eat fruit, vegetables, whole
grains, low-fat or nonfat dairy products, and moderate amounts of lean
meats, skinless poultry, and fish. Eat plenty of soluble fiber, which may
help lower your LDL ("bad") blood cholesterol. Good sources are oat bran,
oatmeal, beans, peas, rice bran, barley, citrus fruits, and strawberries.
Insoluble fiber will not help your blood cholesterol level but is still good
for healthy bowel function. Good sources of insoluble fiber are whole wheat
breads, kidney beans, almonds, beets, carrots, brussel sprouts, broccoli,
cauliflower, green beans, and apple skin.
o Eat at least
two servings of fish per week (especially fatty fish like salmon and lake
trout) because they are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which may help lower
blood cholesterol. Some types of fish, such as swordfish, shark, or king
mackerel, may contain high levels of mercury and other environmental
contaminants that can damage the brain and nervous system, especially in
developing fetuses. Children, pregnant, and breastfeeding women should limit
how much fish they eat to no more than 12 ounces per week.
o You also can eat omega-3 fatty acids from plant sources, such as from tofu,
soybeans, canola, walnuts, and flaxseed (these contain alpha-linolenic acid,
a less potent form of omega-3 fatty acid).
o Cut down on sodium. If you have high blood pressure as well as high blood
cholesterol — and many people do — your health care provider may tell you to
cut down on sodium or salt. Even if you don't have high blood pressure or
cholesterol, try to have no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium each day.
The DASH Diet also recommends a lower level of 1,500 mg of sodium a day. You
can choose low-sodium foods, which will also help lower your cholesterol,
such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat or nonfat dairy products,
and moderate amounts of lean meat. To flavor your food, reach for herbs and
spices rather than high-sodium table salt. Be sure to read the labels of
seasoning mixes because some contain salt.
o Watch your body weight. It is not uncommon for overweight people to have
higher blood cholesterol than people who are not overweight. When you reduce
the fat in your diet, you cut down not only on cholesterol and saturated fat
but on calories as well. This will help you to lose weight and improve your
blood cholesterol, both of which will reduce your risk for heart disease.
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