Health Feature Articles
Practice Healthy Habits for Your Heart
Tammy Roberts, MS, RD, LD, Nutrition and Health Education Specialist in Barton County, University of Missouri Extension
February is American Heart Month. American Heart Month is an opportunity to educate people about the number one killer of Americans –Cardiovascular disease. It is also a good time to let people know that you can decrease your risk for cardiovascular disease by making some healthful lifestyle changes.
Cardiovascular disease can include many conditions. Among them are high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, stroke, congenital heart defects and coronary heart disease which includes heart attack and angina. High blood pressure, diabetes and high blood cholesterol are all risk factors that can lead to heart disease. These risk factors can be prevented or controlled by healthy lifestyles.
Last year, the American Heart Association Nutrition Committee revised the diet and lifestyle recommendations to make them easier to follow. Following these guidelines can significantly reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The diet and lifestyle recommendations include:
- Balance calorie intake and physical activity to
achieve or maintain a healthy body weight. Thirty
minutes of moderate physical activity is recommended
for most days of the week.
- Consume a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.
Diets rich in fruits and vegetables have been shown
to lower blood pressure and decrease other
cardiovascular disease risk.
- Choose whole grain, high fiber foods. Assure
that half of your grain choices every day are whole
grains. Soluble fiber helps control cholesterol and
insoluble fiber has been shown to decrease the
progression of cardiovascular disease in high-risk
individuals.
- Consume fish, especially oily fish, at least
twice per week. Oily fish such as mackerel, salmon,
and tuna contribute omega-3 fatty acids which are
associated with a reduced risk of death from
coronary artery disease.
- Limit your intake of saturated and trans fats
and cholesterol. These types of fat increase LDL or
bad cholesterol. The American Heart Association
recommends that no more than 7% of total calories
each day be from saturated fat and no more than 1%
of calories be from trans fats. For the average
American this means nor more than 16 grams of
saturated fat and no more than 2 grams of trans fats
a day.
- Minimize your intake of beverages and foods with
added sugars.
- Choose and prepare foods with little or no salt.
Salt is associated with increase of blood pressure.
- If you consume alcohol, do so in moderation.
Moderate alcohol consumption has been associated
with reduced cardiovascular risk in some populations
but is not recommended solely for cardiovascular
risk reduction because of the risk for addiction. If
alcohol is consumed, no more than two drinks a day
for men and one for a woman is recommended. One
drink is one 12 ounce beer, four ounces of wine, or
1 ½ ounces of 80-proof alcohol.
- When you eat food that is prepared outside of the home, follow the American Heart Association 2006 diet and lifestyle recommendations.
Last Updated 04/25/2008
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