By Dra. Xiomara Guerra
President of the Association of Nutritionists of the Guayas
Phone: 0991355580 / Email: [email protected]
Ready to start your heart healthy diet? Here are eight tips to help you get started.
Although you probably know that eating certain foods can increase your risk of heart disease, it is often difficult to change your eating habits, then here are 8 tips for a heart healthy diet. Once you know which foods you can eat the most and which ones you should limit, you will be on your way to a heart-healthy diet.
1. Control portion sizes. How much you eat is as important as what you eat. If you overload your plate, eat too fast, and don’t stop until you feel full, you’ll probably consume more calories than you should. Eat larger portions of low-calorie, nutrient-rich foods, such as fruits and vegetables, and smaller portions of foods high in calories and sodium, such as fast, refined, or processed foods. With this strategy you will be able to shape your diet, heart and waist. You may need to use measuring cups and spoons or a scale until you consider that you can determine the size of the portions without help.
2. Eat more vegetables and fruits. Vegetables and fruits are good sources of vitamins and minerals, have a low calorie content and are rich in dietary fiber, have substances that help prevent cardiovascular disease.
Eating more fruits and vegetables can help reduce the consumption of foods with more calories, such as meat, cheese, and snacks. Incorporating them into your diet can be easy. Place the fruit in a bowl in the kitchen so you remember to eat it.
3. Choose whole grains. Whole grains are a good source of fiber and other nutrients that play an important role in regulating blood pressure and heart health.
To increase the amount of whole grains in a heart-healthy diet, substitute refined grain products.
4. Limit your intake of unhealthy fats. Limiting the amount of saturated fats and trans fats you eat is an important step in lowering your blood cholesterol and lowering your risk of coronary artery disease. Choose monounsaturated fats, such as olive oil or canola oil, sunflower, sesame. Polyunsaturated fats, found in certain fish, avocado, walnuts and seeds, are also a good option to follow a
heart healthy diet.
All types of fat are high in calories. An easy way to add healthy fats (and fiber) to your diet is by consuming ground flax seeds, they are high in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids.
5. Choose low-fat protein sources. Lean poultry and fish, low-fat dairy products and eggs are the best sources of protein. Fish is another great alternative to replacing meats high in fat and omega-3 fatty acids, which can reduce blood fats called “triglycerides”. The fish with the highest amount of omega-3 fatty acids are those in cold water, such as salmon, mackerel and herring. Other sources are flax seeds, walnuts, soybeans and canola oil.
Legumes (beans, peas and lentils) are also good sources of protein, contain less fat and no cholesterol, so they are good substitutes for meat.
6. Reduce sodium in your meals. Consuming a lot of salt can contribute to high blood pressure, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Reducing consumption is an important part of a heart-healthy diet. The following is recommended:
- Healthy adults should not consume more than 2300 milligrams (mg) of sodium per day (approximately one teaspoon of salt)
- Most adults should consume less than 1,500 mg of sodium per day
While adding less salt to the food when it is already served or while cooking is a good first step. Opting for fresh foods and preparing soups and stews yourself are measures that can help you reduce the amount of salt you consume.
7. Plan ahead. Create daily menus. Create daily menus using the six strategies listed above. When choosing foods for each meal and snack, you prefer vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Choose sources of lean protein and healthy fats, and limit salty foods. Monitor portion sizes and add variety to your menu options.
For example, if you eat roasted fish one night, eat a black bean burger the next night. This helps ensure that you get all the nutrients your body needs. Variety also makes your meals and snacks more interesting.
8. Give yourself a taste from time to time. Incorporate these eight tips into your life, and you’ll discover that a heart-healthy diet is something you can do and enjoy. With a little planning and a few simple replacements, you can eat with your heart in mind.
menu
to have breakfast
- Green sheep with grilled fish and Creole sauce with avocado
- Oat juice with guinea fowl and lemon.
midday
lunch
- Vegetable soup
- Brown rice with steamed fish and fresh salad of lettuce, avocado and tomato
- Lemon juice
mid-afternoon
- Seasonal fruit with yogurt and ground flax
snack
- Stewed beans with carrot and stuffed chicken
- Green tea with lemon. (F)