Posted on Thursday, February 14, 2019 in Nutrition and Diet
Did you know that across Missouri, including St. Louis and Kansas City, 354,000 people have coronary heart disease?
For people fighting heart disease and trying to improve overall health, it’s especially important to eat nutritiously. Along with maintaining a healthy weight and regular activity, here are ten tips:
- Get more fiber in your diet. Eat more plants, including fresh veggies and fruits, whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts and brown rice. Aim for 30 grams each day.
- Cut back on the salt. Season with herbs and spices such as garlic, oregano, ginger, basil, thyme, cumin, sage or rosemary. Also read Nutrition Facts Labels to choose foods low in sodium. Aim for ~1500 mg per day.
- Choose foods low in saturated fat and avoid trans-fat. Remove skin from chicken breast, drain and rinse fat from ground, cooked meat before eating, and avoid partially hydrogenated oils found in processed cakes, cookies, crackers, muffins, fries and doughnuts.
- Eat veggies and fruits high in antioxidants such as berries, citrus fruits, sweet potatoes and pumpkin which may protect the heart.
- Use low-fat cooking methods. Bake, roast, boil, blanch, stir-fry, sauté, stew, microwave or steam.
- Make your own salad dressings. Use herbs, spices, oil (canola, walnut or olive) and vinegar (any flavor). Remember, a little goes a long way!
- Choose lean meats. Skinless chicken breast or turkey breast, salmon, tuna and sirloin are excellent options.
- Choose foods high in omega-3 and poly- and monounsaturated fats. Salmon, olive oil, flaxseed, walnuts, mackerel, sardines, albacore tuna and avocados are great examples.
- Eat more raw, cooked and minimally processed non-starchy vegetables. Veggies that are good for the heart include cucumber, celery, mushrooms, spinach, artichokes, broccoli, tomatoes, Brussels sprouts, bell peppers, onions, leeks, cabbage, asparagus, radishes, arugula and cauliflower.
- Eat a balance of potassium and sodium. Potassium is found in seafood, poultry, whole grains and fresh and dried fruits and veggies. Diets low in potassium and high in sodium can put you at a greater risk for high blood pressure.
Tags
- diet
- heart health
- nutrition