Eating a healthy diet can reduce your risk of developing heart disease and conditions that lead to heart disease like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and obesity. If you already have heart problems, eating a heart-healthy diet is an important step toward reversing your condition. Avoiding foods high in certain fats, sugars, refined flours, salt and cholesterol can help you maintain your weight and regulate your cardiovascular functioning.
Saturated Fats
Foods high in saturated fats raise blood cholesterol and increase the risk of developing heart disease. When cooking, avoid using solid fats like butter, margarine and shortening. Avoid eating other foods high in saturated fat like beef, duck, pork, chicken (with skin), lamb, whole milk and dairy products made from whole milk (cheese, ice cream), mayonnaise, cakes, cookies and chips. Plant oils such as palm oil, palm kernel oil and coconut oil also contain high levels of saturated fats.
Trans Fats
Trans fats are partially hydrogenated oils that are added to foods and increase your risk for developing heart disease and diabetes. Trans fats are particularly common in processed foods. Some foods that commonly contain trans fats and should be avoided are packaged soups, margarine, shortening, butter spreads, packaged mixes (cake and biscuit mixes), fast food, commercially baked goods (donuts, croissants), supermarket cookies and cakes, chips, crackers, cereals and dips.
Added Sugars
The American Heart Association warns that added sugars in food are altering our metabolic rate and contributing to obesity and heart disease. Foods to avoid include fortune cookies, flavored liqueurs, baked beans, dried sweetened cranberries, ketchup, cream substitutes, and barbeque sauce. It is also important to read food labels and avoid foods containing high amounts of corn syrup, molasses, corn sweetener, glucose, fructose, sucrose, lactose, dextrose, maltose, honey, raw sugar, syrup, malt syrup, caramel and fruit juice concentrates.
Cholesterol
It is recommended that healthy adults consume less than 300 milligrams of cholesterol a day, while adults who are taking cholesterol-lowering medication and those with high levels of the "bad" cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein, LDL) should consume less than 200 mg a day. Foods high in cholesterol that should be avoided include things like beef, liver, sausage, pork, cream cheese, butter,
chicken and turkey giblets, eggs, cheese made from whole milk and ice cream.
Refined White Flour
Whole grains and wheat flour provide fiber and nutrients that help us to regulate blood pressure, lower cholesterol and improve heart health. Refined white flour lacks that nutritional value, is broken down quickly into simple sugar in the body, leading to the over-production of insulin to manage it. Insulin can promote the storage of fat, leading to potential development of obesity, diabetes and heart disease. It is therefore best to avoid or limit foods made from refined white flour such as muffins, donuts, cakes, white pastas, pies, potato chips, egg noodles, waffles, and many granola bars. Unless a product label reads "100 percent whole wheat flour," it may contain some refined flour.
Sodium
Excessive consumption of sodium (salt) can lead to high blood pressure which is a risk for cardiovascular disease. The American Heart Association recommends that healthy adults eat less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day (about a teaspoon). Sodium can be hidden in a lot of pre-packaged and canned foods, so it is important to check the labels of the food you eat to avoid exceeding the recommended daily intake. Condiments such as salad dressings, ketchup, and sauces (especially soy sauce) can be loaded with sodium. Even reduced-sodium versions of these foods should be used in moderation as they may still contain a fair amount of salt. Processed meats and cheeses, ham, eggs, and packaged chips, cookies, and crackers may also contain high amounts of sodium. It is advisable to avoid adding table salt to your food, and substitute salt-free spices instead.
Member Comments