By Dra. Xiomara Guerra
President of the Association of Nutritionists of Guayas
Mobile phone: 0991355580 / Email: [email protected]
Ready to eat your heart healthy? Here are eight tips to get you started.
While you are sure that eating certain foods can increase your risk of heart disease, it is often difficult to change your eating habits. Here are eight tips for a heart-healthy diet. Once you know which foods to eat the most and which to limit, you will be on the road to a heart-healthy diet.
1. Manage your portion sizes. How much you eat is just as important as what you eat. If you overload your plate, eat too fast, and don’t stop until you’re full, you’re likely consuming more calories than you should. Eat larger portions of nutrient-dense, low-calorie foods, such as fruits and vegetables, and smaller portions of high-calorie, sodium-rich foods, such as fast, refined, or processed foods. This strategy can help you get your diet, heart and waistline in shape. You may need to use measuring cups and spoons or a scale until you find that you can determine portion sizes without assistance.
2. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are good sources of vitamins and minerals, they have a low calorie content and are rich in dietary fiber, they contain substances that help prevent cardiovascular disease.
By eating more fruits and vegetables, you can eat fewer calories, such as meat, cheese and snacks. It can be easy to include them in your diet. Put the fruits in a bowl in the kitchen so you don’t forget them.
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.
Replace refined grain products to increase the amount of whole grains in a heart-healthy diet.
4. Limit your intake of unhealthy fats. Limiting the amount of saturated fat and trans fat 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 or canola, sunflower and sesame oils. Polyunsaturated fats, found in certain fish, avocado, nuts and seeds, are also a good
heart healthy diet.
All types of fat are high in calories. An easy way to add healthy fats (and fiber) to your diet is to eat ground flaxseeds, which are rich in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids.
Choose low-fat protein sources. Lean poultry and fish, low-fat dairy products, and eggs are the best protein sources. Fish is another excellent alternative to replace high-fat meat and omega-3 fatty acids, which can reduce blood fats called “triglycerides”. The fish with the most omega-3 fatty acids are cold water fish, such as salmon, mackerel and herring. Other sources are flaxseed, walnuts, soybeans and canola oil.
Legumes (beans, peas and lentils) are also good sources of protein, have less fat and no cholesterol, making them good meat substitutes.
Reduce sodium in your meals. Eating a lot of salt can contribute to high blood pressure, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Cutting back is an important part of a heart-healthy diet. The following is recommended:
- Healthy adults should consume no more than 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium per day (about a teaspoon of salt)
- Most adults should have less than 1,500 mg of sodium per day
However, adding less salt to food when it is already served or during cooking is a good first step. By choosing fresh foods and preparing your own soups and stews, you can 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 every meal and snack, give preference to vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Choose lean protein sources and healthy fats and restricted salty foods. Keep an eye on portion sizes and add variety to your menu options.
For example, if you eat grilled fish one night, have a black bean burger the next night. This will help ensure that you are getting all the nutrients your body needs. The variety also makes your meals and snacks more interesting.
8. Treat yourself once in a while. Put 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 substitutions, you can eat with your heart in mind.
Menu
Breakfast
- Majada de verde with grilled fish and creole sauce with avocado
- Havers juice with banana and lemon.
Mid-morning
lunch
- Vegetable soup
- Brown rice with steamed fish and a fresh salad of lettuce, avocado and tomato
- Lemon juice
Afternoon
- Seasonal fruit with yogurt and ground flax seeds
Snack
- Beans stewed with carrot and shredded chicken
- Green tea with lemon. (F)