Diseases of the cardiovascular system are the leading causes of death for both men and women. While certain lifestyle factors, such as maintaining a healthy weight and regular exercise is important for heart health, the foods you buy have no less meaning.
Eating right is the best way to fight heart disease. In fact, choosing a healthy diet can reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke by 80%.
To understand and understand the reasons behind the various dietary recommendations, consider some of the following tips.
Read to the end to get the most useful information.
1. Pay attention to the type of fat you eat
Fats are essential for the cardiovascular system to function. However, there are types of fats that can negatively affect the health of your heart, in particular trans fats and saturated fats. These are the two types of fats that are of greatest concern - they affect blood cholesterol levels by lowering the "good" HDL cholesterol while raising the "bad" LDL cholesterol.
If HDL and LDL are disproportionate or not in the normal range, it can lead to accumulation and deposition of excess cholesterol on the walls of blood vessels, which increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Nutritionists recommend that adults limit their saturated fat intake to 5-6% of their total fat intake, and the proportion of trans fat should be no more than 1%.
2. Say no to salt
Sodium in table salt is a chemical element that is essential for life. Many bodily functions depend on it, including controlling fluid volume, maintaining acid-base balance, and muscle function.
However, an excess of sodium in the body is dangerous. Its increased content retains water in the blood vessels, thereby increasing blood pressure. Failure to lower blood pressure in time can put a strain on the heart, contribute to the buildup of plaque, and ultimately increase the risk of heart attack or stroke.
Nutritionists recommend that the threshold of 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day is not exceeded, which is about the same as a teaspoon of salt. For people with chronic diseases and over 50 years of age, the threshold for sodium intake is even lower - no more than 1,500 milligrams.
3. Don't skip vegetables and fruits
As everyone knows, eating fruits and vegetables is an essential part of a healthy diet. Conversely, a lack of these foods in the diet is associated with poor health and an increased risk of serious heart disease.
It is very easy to include fruits and vegetables in your diet. They can be both fresh and frozen, dried or canned - in any form they will be quite useful and nutritious. Nutritionists recommend filling at least half of your daily diet with fruits and vegetables.
4. Eat More Fiber
Fiber helps to lower the level of "bad" cholesterol, thereby reducing the risk of heart disease. Whole grains tend to be high in fiber. Thus, the inclusion of whole grains in the diet helps to improve cardiovascular function and reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack.
Nutritionists strongly recommend consuming as many whole grains as possible. The required amount of dietary fiber for adults under 50 is 25-35 grams per day, and after 50 years - 20-25 grams.
5. Be choosy with protein
For many, meat is the main source of protein. However, today's popular meats such as hamburgers, steaks or bacon, while high in protein, are packed with saturated fat. Eating these foods increases the risk of many health complications, namely obesity, high cholesterol, plaque formation and of course heart disease and stroke. To prevent diseases of the cardiovascular system, nutritionists advise including fish, shellfish, skinless poultry and minced lean meat in the diet.
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