Heart disease, the reduction in the amount of nutrients and oxygen that can get to your heart, is a chronic condition once it develops, notes the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute website. Despite the chronic nature of heart disease, you can reduce the risks associated with the disease. Making a nutrition plan for heart disease and following a heart-healthy diet can reduce your future risks.
Basics
If you are suffering from heart disease, you need to take steps to reduce your risks by a making changes and adjustments to your eating habits. In addition to following a nutritional plan, you should also do regular exercise, as long as your doctor clears you for exercise. If you are a smoker it is important you quit, because smoking will reduce the positive benefits of healthy eating.
Fats
Eating saturated fats and trans fats in your diet will only perpetuate and worsen the risks associated with heart disease. Even small amounts of trans fats will increase your health risks. Trans fats are found in solid fats such as vegetable shortenings and some margarines. Often, fast foods, baked goods and prepackaged foods are made with trans fats. Avoid all trans fats. You should also reduce saturated fat intake to less than 7 percent of your daily calorie intake in your nutrition plan, notes the American Heart Association. You can do this by reducing animal-based proteins, such as meat, and replacing them with plant-based proteins.
A heart-healthy nutritional plan should include foods that contain healthy unsaturated fats such as nuts, nut butters, olive oil, canola oil and fatty fish.
Sodium
Sodium intake can increase your chances of high blood pressure, which can worsen your heart disease. Reducing your sodium means eating more fresh foods and choosing canned and processed foods that state they are low in sodium. Instead of using salt to flavor foods, use herbs and spices that do not contain added salt.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acid is an amino acid that has the potential to benefit you if you have heart disease, notes the American Heart Association. A nutrition plan should include foods that contain high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, such as fatty fish like salmon and halibut, walnuts and flax seed.
According to recommendations by the American Heart Association, if you have heart disease you should eat at least 1g of both types fatty acids, EPA and DHA, every day.
Tips
Strictly limit your intake of red and processed meats. Use plant-based proteins to replace some animal-based proteins, such as beans, nuts and soy products. Make sure the nutritional plan promotes the intake of at least 25 to 30g of fiber per day. Increase the amount of fruits and vegetables in your daily meals and snacks.
