The Mayo Clinic remains a well-respected source of health information for everyone. Due to their reputable image, many fad diets of the past associated themselves with the Mayo Clinic. The popularity of these diets gained the attention of the doctors and nutritionists at the Mayo Clinic, prompting them to create the Mayo Clinic Diet, which strives to help you make healthy changes to your eating habits to last a lifetime. This diet follows a heart-healthy eating plan because those who are healthy make greater strides in maintaining a healthy weight.
Lower Cholesterol
In order to lose weight, maintain a healthy weight and keep your heart healthy, lower the amount of dietary cholesterol you consume. Too much cholesterol, a fat-like substance, in your blood allows it to accumulate in the blood vessels and restricts the flow of blood. Therefore, the American Heart Association recommends restricting your dietary cholesterol intake to 300 mg per day or less.
Limit Fat
High cholesterol and high blood pressure are major risk factors for developing heart disease. To prevent the onset of both, limit the amount of fat you consume. The National Institute of Medicine Food and Nutrition Board recommends no more than 35 percent of your daily calories come from fat. Knowing the types of fat also helps follow the Mayo Clinic cardiac diet since both saturated and trans fat contribute to high cholesterol levels. Therefore limit your saturated fat intake to less than 7 percent of your daily calories and your trans fat intake to less than 1 percent, as directed by the American Heart Association.
Cut the Sodium
Your body requires sodium, or salt, to maintain normal functions, but only in small amounts. Consuming too much sodium may lead to an increase in blood volume and contribute to high blood pressure. To maintain cardiac health and reduce water retention which adds weight, the Mayo Clinic diet follows the recommendations of the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans to keep your sodium intake to less than 2,300 mg per day.
Increase Fruits and Vegetables
The Mayo Clinic diet emphasizes increasing the number of fruits and vegetables you eat per day. Fruits and vegetables are nutrient dense foods, providing essential vitamins and minerals in few calories. Fruits and vegetables also contribute to your intake of dietary fiber, which can help you feel full for longer and cut down on the consumption of higher-fat foods therefore reducing your total calorie intake. Naturally low-fat and cholesterol free, fruits and vegetables should be a focus of your heart-healthy diet.
Choose Whole Grains
A grain, often called a cereal grain, is the seed of a grass such as wheat, corn or oats. Many foods contain grains including breakfast cereals, breads and pastas. Refined grain describes a grain that has had the germ and bran removed, such as white rice. Whole grain and whole grain products use grains with the germ and bran intact. Because the germ and bran contain most of the nutrients, including vitamins, minerals and provides the fiber, eating whole grains helps you feel fuller for longer reducing your calorie intake. A high fiber diet also helps decrease cholesterol levels and protects against heart disease, according to the Colorado State University Extension.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Heart-Healthy Diet
- American Heart Association: About Cholesterol
- American Heart Association: Know Your Fats
- National Institutes of Medicine: Food and Nutrition Board: Daily Recommended Intakes
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
- Colorado State University Extension: Dietary Fiber
