Keeping the heart strong and the vessels and arteries clear and clean entails exercise and healthy eating.
West Shore Medical Center dietitian Lisa Morris, R.D., CDE, emphasizes that healthy eating does not have to mean bland, boring food.
“There are a lot of great recipes and menu ideas out there to help us get a handle on our eating habits and eat in a way that is healthier for our heart,” she said.
The Centers for Disease Control report that heart disease claims more than 600,000 people in the U.S. each year. It is the leading cause of death for both men and women.
The American Heart Association encourages a healthy diet as an important way to keep from becoming another statistic.
Diets rich in a variety of vegetables and fruits, lean proteins, healthy fats, and whole grains are the best defense against the onset of high cholesterol, high blood pressure and heart disease. The American Heart Association suggests that an adult who consumes 2,000 calories daily should:
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Eat four or five cups of fruits and vegetables each day.
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Choose fish at least twice a week, preferably oily fish like salmon.
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Consume at least three one-ounce servings a day of fiber rich whole grains.
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Eat four servings a week of unsalted varieties of nuts, legumes, and seeds.
Things to be careful about include:
- Sodium – eat less than 1,500 mg a day
- Sugar sweetened beverages – drink less than 450 calories a week
- Processed meats – Limit yourself to two servings a week
- Saturated fat – Make sure it is no more than 7 percent of your total calorie intake
Morris encourages area residents to pay attention to food nutrition labels in order to understand any hidden sodium, sugars, and fats in the food they eat.
“Sometimes what we consider healthy eating contains a lot more salt or fat than we imagined,” she said.