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Feature Articles Food, Fitness and Health American Heart MonthBy Tammy Roberts, MS, RD, LD, |
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February is American Heart Month. It’s a good time to take
inventory to see if you are doing everything possible to
maintain a healthy heart. Healthy eating habits can help you
reduce three of the risk factors for heart attack: high blood
cholesterol, high blood pressure and excess body weight.
A total blood cholesterol of 200mg/dL is desirable. An optimal LDL cholesterol reading would be less than 100mg/dL. HDL cholesterol needs to be above 40mg/dL. Managing your cholesterol will help you take better care of your heart, reducing your risk for heart attack and stroke.
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To increase HDL, limit fat to no more than 30% of your total calories. For a person consuming 2000 calories, that would be 600 calories or 65 grams of fat. Use more monounsaturated oils like olive or canola oil in food preparation.
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To decrease LDL cholesterol, limit saturated fats (mostly, that’s fats that are hard at room temperature) to no more than 10% of your total calories. That would be 200 calories or 22 grams of saturated fat as a part of your total of 30% total fat for the day.
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Limit trans fats. Trans fats will be listed on the food label in 2006. For now, if the ingredient list states “partially hydrogenated oil” it is a good indicator that there are trans fats in the product. Finally, get 20-35 grams of fiber every day. Soluble fiber, the kind in oatmeal, binds with cholesterol before it enters the bloodstream and is eliminated.
High blood pressure is a risk factor for
heart attack and strokes. In some, but not all people, salt
is a factor for high blood pressure. Limit sodium to no more
than 2,400mg a day. That’s about one teaspoon of salt. That
doesn’t mean you can get “salt shaker happy”. Read the food
label for sodium contents of foods. Many prepared foods have
high sodium contents.
Overweight and obesity are risk factors for
heart disease. Excess body weight can put a strain on the
heart, increase blood pressure and raise cholesterol and
triglyceride levels. To manage weight, maintain a healthy diet
and an active lifestyle. Eat a variety of foods from all food
groups. To condition your heart and lungs, get 30 minutes of
moderate intensity exercise most days of the week. This would
include jogging, swimming or walking at moderate intensity.
A heart healthy lifestyle is not just for people who are at risk for a heart attack. People of all ages can benefit from healthy eating habits and regular exercise. When you are practicing these healthy behaviors, you feel good. When you feel good, it’s easier to manage our busy lifestyles.
Last update: Monday, August 07, 2006
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