Today I am going to write about something that is very serious. And it affects everyone if it is ignored. Your heart. I am not thinking of your feelings or your love for someone. But about heart health. It does affect everyone especially if we don't choose a healthy lifestyle.
So what would be considered a heart healthy lifestyle then? You know the basics probably. Eat right, be active by exercising and consider a more stress free lifestyle. But when we talk of eating right. What exactly does that imply? The do's and the don'ts. Everyone has an opinion of what is right. Eat this don't eat that.
First thing you have to acknowledge if you are not eating for the benefit of your heart, that there is a huge change needed. By taking these steps you should find the benefit of a heart healthy lifestyle. If you don't do that today it will affect your health later on.
Portion size.
The amount of food you eat is just as serious as what you out in your mouth. By overeating you end up with more calories than you should probably be consuming. So for best advice it is wise to use a small plate when you want to control your portions. Eat more low calorie foods that is full of nutrients and less foods that is full of high calories and foods that is high in sodium. Fast foods are very guilty of this. Just by following this you should see a change in your waist as well as your heart health.
Fruits and vegetables.
These foods are full of good nutrients and is a great source of vitamins and minerals. Also god to consider because it doesn't have too much calories and is a source of dietary fibre. Some fruits and vegetables can actually help to prevent cardiovascular disease. Also if you consider more fruits and vegetables you will find that you eat less foods such as meat unhealthy snacks and cheese.
Whole grains.
How important would you think whole grain is for heart health? Answer very important as it plays a major role in regulating your blood pressure which in turn helps to improve heart health. Just by changing the whole grains by leaving the refined products. Consider whole wheat, whole grain and high fibre products.
Fats
It is very important to limit unhealthy fats. So what is considered unhealthy fats? Saturated fats and trans fatty acids. To help control cholesterol and to lower your chance of developing coronary heart disease it is important to remember this. If your cholesterol levels are high it starts to build up in your arteries and you can have a stroke or a heart attack as a result. So how do you limit these bad fats? By limiting your intake of butter margarine or shortening. Even when cooking it is important to limit these fats. By trimming fat or even better choose lean meats. Also good to check the fat content on snacks as many of these snacks like chips cookies and crackers contents fatty acids. Even when it says reduced fats. The word to look for is hydrogenated fat or even partially hydrogenated.
The safer options is called monounsaturated fats. Like Canola oil or Olive oil.
Then there is polyunsaturated fats which can actually help to lower your cholesterol levels. Certain types of fish, nuts seeds and avocados is considered heart health choices. But even here it is important to remember to limit these fats too as all fats are full of calories. A wise choice would be to add flaxseed as it is high in fibre and rich in omega three fatty acids. This does help to lower cholesterol levels
Low fat protein
Low fat dairy, eggs, lean meat, poultry and fish are considered the best protein sources. But again it is suggested that you must consider exactly what you eat. Skim milk vs. full cream milk. Skinless chicken vs. fried chicken. Always go for the option that contains less fat.
Fish that is good to consider as it is high in omega 3 fatty acids is salmon, mackerel, and herring.
As mentioned before flaxseeds is great but also a good source of protein. Then there is walnuts, soybeans and canola oil. Beans peas and lentils is a wonderful choice as it has no cholesterol and less fat.
Sodium
Sodium also known as salt increases your chance of developing high blood pressure which in turn can become a high risk for cardiovascular disease. You can consider salt substitutes. If you eat processed foods you have to realize that the processed foods are high in salt. If you prefer easier and convenience foods check for sodium reduced.
These changes can make a huge difference. We live in a world of convenience. And we don't take note of how good it is for our heart. I really hope this article will help to change peoples lives for the better.
If you have any comments or thoughts you want to share. Please do that.
Please share so others can benefit from this too.
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I hope this helps to bring beneficial changes in your life.
As it will in mine and those I care about.
Update
During the time this article was written one of my relatives went for heart
bypass surgery. No doubt that it is a major heart operation. The risk involved is huge. That was the reason behind this post and yes, if it means one person can be saved the trauma and tension that an unhealthy lifestyle causes. Then this article was still worth it.
My uncle thankfully is recovering well.
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