Coronary heart disease results when plaque builds up inside the arteries that supply blood to your heart. While some people need medications or surgery to control their plaque buildup, a balanced diet that limits your intake of saturated fat, cholesterol and excess calories can help. Your food choices and food preparation techniques affect your body's ability to control plaque buildup.
Food Shopping
If you do not buy heart-healthy foods, you cannot cook heart-healthy meals. Avoid prepackaged foods including side dishes, entrees, cookies, cakes, chips and prepared meats, such as sausage, bologna and hot dogs. These foods contain extra sugars, salt and other ingredients to help keep them fresh, warns Dr. Steven Herrman, a cardiologist at Bradford Regional Medical Center. The majority of the items you place in your cart should come from the outside aisles of the grocery store. Herrman advises stocking up on fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, fatty fish, skinless white meat poultry and whole grains. Visit the center aisles for whole grain foods, such as breads, pastas and cereals. Read the nutrition label to determine the amount of sodium, fat, cholesterol, calories and vitamins each food contains.
Low-Fat Cooking
Low-fat cooking requires you to use low-fat ingredients and to avoid adding fat to your foods. The American Heart Association recommends keeping your total fat intake below 25 to 35 percent of your total caloric intake, your saturated fat intake below 7 percent of your daily caloric intake and your trans fat to less than 1 percent of your total calorie intake. Animal sources of protein and cooking fat contain the most saturated fats. Limit your intake of saturated fats by eating more fish and skinless white poultry. If you desire red meat, chose the leanest possible cut and trim off as much visible fat as possible. Avoid frying food or cooking food in a lot of oil, because "oil displaces the water content of food and replaces it with fat content" according to Barbara Mendez, a registered pharmacist and nutritional consultant in New York City. Roast or grill your meats to allow excess fat to drip off and away from your food. If you use oil for cooking, Mendez suggests using organic canola, grapeseed or safflower oil.
Low-Sodium Cooking
The American Heart Association recommends limiting your sodium intake to less than 1,500 mg per day. Ways to reduce your sodium intake when preparing foods include starting with raw ingredients, replacing seasonings that contain salt with herbs and spices, not using the saltshaker and requesting restaurants not to add salt to your food.
Fruits and Vegetables
Increase your fruit in vegetable consumption to help reduce plaque buildup and decrease your total calorie consumption. The American Heart Association recommends consuming at least 4 1/2 cups of fruits and vegetables each day. Mendez suggests focusing on your consumption of dark green vegetables, carrots, yams and sweet potatoes, while limiting your fruit consumption to no more than two servings a day. Increase your fruit and vegetable consumption by adding vegetables as you prepare your favorite dishes, selecting a fruit of vegetable with each meal or snack and adding vegetables to sandwiches instead of extra meat or cheese.
References
- Steven C. Herrmann, M.D., Ph,D,, FACC, FASE; Bradford Regional Medical Center; Bradford, Pennsylvania
- American Heart Association; Know Your Fats; May 2011
- American Heart Association; Cooking for Lower Cholesterol; May 2011
- Barbara M. Mendez RPh, MS; Private Practice; New York, New York
- American Heart Association; Shaking the Salt Habit; April 2011
- American Heart Association; Nutrition Center: Healthy Diet Goals
