A heart healthy diet is something that can prevent people from contracting heart diseases. It is good for the whole family, including children as young as two years of age. Younger kids, on the other hand, are not supposed to participate in diets yet as they still need more calories from fats to nurture and help their bodies and organs to grow. Although belonging to a family with a history of heart disease is unavoidable, a dietary plan for maintaining a low-density lipoprotein level could still help. Lipoprotein is what carries (bad) cholesterol to the bloodstream, thus keeping it under control could ensure a safer way of living.
To ensure a heart healthy diet, nutritionists recommend people to incorporate an array of whole grains, low or non-fat dairies, lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, vegetables and fruits in their menus. It is also a must to remember to keep a balance between the calories you intake and the calories you burn up. Don’t eat too much if you’re not going to need or use the energy anyway. This also helps you maintain a good and healthy weight. Moreover, exercising or engaging in other physical activities you enjoy for at least 30 minutes a day would definitely keep your heart in good condition while giving yourself a fit exterior.
To know the amount of caloric intake you need per day, you have to take into consideration your weight, height, age group and gender. You also have to classify the type of physical activity you engage in. As was previously mentioned, you should not eat more calories than what you’re going to burn. Thus, knowledge in this area would certainly help you choose what food to eat.
Things you should avoid, on the other hand, are eating foods with high cholesterol, trans fats and saturated fats, try those with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (food listed above) instead. You may also want to quit smoking if it is one of your vices. Lowering your intake of salty food and alcoholic beverages also helps because both raise blood pressure (which is the cause of hypertension) and you can’t have that if you want to keep your heart healthy.
The benefits of eating right don’t just affect your heart. You are also least likely to become obese, incur other heart related diseases like diabetes and atherosclerosis (hardening and clogging of the arteries), and it provides you with lots of fiber, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Eating healthy for your heart is eating healthy for yourself. There’s nothing to lose and a whole lot to gain when you try it.
Lastly, you can never be bored with this type of diet for there are so many delicious meals that can be made with the foods mentioned here. You are not sacrificing taste when you decide to go for this eating pattern, but instead preventing future problems while staying in good physical shape. A heart healthy diet promises a whole life of good nutrition and good health plus a bonus of good physical appearance.