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Feature Articles: Health
Practice Healthy Habits for Your HeartTammy Roberts, MS, RD, LD,
Nutrition and
Health Education Specialist in |
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While cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of Americans, 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 update: Thursday, April 05, 2007
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