Diabetes describes a serious medical condition characterized by too much glucose, also known as sugar, in the blood. Because diabetes causes damage to blood vessels, it contributes to an increased risk of developing heart disease--the number one cause of death in the United States. To keep your heart and blood vessels healthy, follow a heart-healthy diet low in saturated fat and sodium.
DASH Diet
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, affects approximately one in three adults in the United States, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Scientists at the NHLBI conducted studies on patients with high blood pressure and found that eating a diet low in saturated fat, cholesterol and total fat that encouraged the intake of fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products helped to reduce blood pressure. From these studies the DASH--Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension--diet arose. The DASH diet recommends a total fat intake of 27 percent of the total calories with saturated fat only contributing 6 percent of the calories. It also strives to keep cholesterol intake to 150 mg per day and although the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends consuming less than 2,300 mg per day, the DASH diet challenges you to reduce that level even further to less than 1,500 mg per day. Following this healthy diet, especially for patients with diabetes, helps to reduce blood pressure and the risk of heart disease.
TLC Diet
The American Heart Association created the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes diet in response to guidelines released by the National Cholesterol Education Program in May 2001. The TLC diet strives to help patients with high cholesterol levels make life-long changes to their eating habits to help lower their cholesterol and therefore reduce the risk for heart disease. The TLC diet recommends reducing the saturated fat intake to less than 7 percent of the total calories while keeping the total fat intake to 25 to 35 percent of the total calories. It also stresses keeping the consumption of cholesterol to less than 200 mg per day and the sodium intake to less than 2,400 mg per day. By promoting lower cholesterol levels, this diet helps all patients with or without diabetes to reduce the risks for heart disease.
Heart Healthy Tips
Because those with diabetes are twice as likely to develop heart disease as someone without diabetes, following a heart-healthy diet to help lower blood pressure and cholesterol becomes very important. Control your fat intake and make sure that saturated fats account for less than 7 percent of the daily calories. Keep the consumption of trans fats even lower, to less than 1 percent. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables which provide many vitamins and minerals without added fat or cholesterol. Reduce the intake of refined grains, such as white bread, and switch to whole grains that have more nutrients and fiber. Increasing the intake of fiber helps sustain the feeling of fullness which cuts down on added calories. Reduce your salt intake as much as possible setting a goal of 1,500 mg or less per day.
References
- National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse: Diabetes, Heart Disease and Stroke
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Heart Disease Facts
- American Heart Association: Step I, Step II, and TLC
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: TLC Diet
- United States Department of Agriculture: Dietary Guidelines for Americans
- U.S Department of Health and Human Services: DASH Diet
