You like to eat, right? For many people, a good meal with friends or family is one of life’s finest pleasures.
There are some meals that can help reduce your risk of heart disease — ensuring that you will be around for many meals with friends and family to come.
- Cut back on salt. Too much salt can put you on the path to high blood pressure. High blood pressure is key in causing heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. Check the sodium content of packaged foods like frozen dinners, canned soups, and snack foods. Limit your intake to 1500 milligrams (or less) each day. That’s about two-thirds of a teaspoon.
- Increase your fiber intake. Studies show that a high fiber diet can slow the progression of heart disease! Try to get at least twenty-five grams of fiber daily. How? Eat plenty of veggies, beans, fruits, and whole grains. Switching to whole grain versions of your favorite breads and snacks can make a difference.
- Eat good fats. Too little fat in the diet can actually lower your good cholesterol levels and increase your risk of heart disease. Between 25 and 35 percent of your daily calories should come from fat. Limit saturated fats and trans fats (the bad fats) and focus on monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats (the good fats) instead. Try nuts, canola oil, safflower oil, and fatty fish to get your good fats.
- Get plenty of sterols and stanols. These compounds occur naturally in fruits and vegetables — so fill your plate with a rainbow of both. You can also find foods that are fortified with extra sterols and stanols, like Benecol Spread and Minute Maid Heart Wise Orange Juice. Experts suggest getting between two and three grams of stanols per day to lower cholesterol and protect your heart.
- Include antioxidants. These compounds are found in many different foods. They help your body fight disease. Be sure to eat a varied diet and include the whole rainbow of fruits and vegetables.