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| Thursday, February 19, 2009 |
| Healthy Diet, Healthy Heart |
February is Heart Month, which makes it a great time to consider how you can improve your heart health through diet. Decreasing fat and increasing fiber are great ways to improve your heart health. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States for men and women, so anything you can do to decrease your chances of getting heart disease is worth the effort. When it comes to fat and fiber, minimal effort can have a maximum effect on your health.
Fiber is a substance found in plant foods like fruits, vegetables and grains. Fiber is virtually indigestible. The outer layer, or the part of the plant that we eat, is called dietary fiber. Dietary fiber is an important part of a heart healthy diet. Dietary fiber is either soluble or insoluble. What is the difference you ask? Well, soluble fiber forms a gel when mixed with liquid. It will dissolve in water, while insoluble does not dissolve in water. Both types of fiber are important in your diet, but soluble fiber has more benefits to heart health.
Soluble fiber has been shown to lower cholesterol by helping remove it from the body. When this happens, the cholesterol is not around to clog your arteries. Lowering cholesterol levels has been associated with a decreased risk of heart attack and stroke. Soluble fiber is found in many common foods. Oats have the highest amount of soluble fiber compared to any other grain. Oatmeal, oat bran cereals and oat bran bread are great sources. Other foods high in soluble fiber include peas, beans, citrus fruits, strawberries, apples and baked potatoes with the skin. Aim for 20-35 grams of fiber per day.
Dietary fat can be saturated, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated. To increase heart health, cut down on saturated fats. Saturated fats have been linked to elevated cholesterol and heart disease. Saturated fats come from animal sources and are solid at room temperature. Examples of saturated fats include, butter, lard, shortening and the white marbling in meat. To help decrease the risk of heart disease you should also avoid trans fats which come from hydrogenated oils and can be found in foods like French fries and baked goods.
Mono and polyunsaturated fats are healthy fats and can be added to the diet to improve heart health. These fats can be found in foods such as olive oil, canola oil, nuts, seeds, avocados and fatty fish like salmon. Be sure to read food labels to find out what kind of fat the food contains. Since all fats are high in calories, keep your total fat intake to 30% or less of your total calories.
Simple changes in your diet can add up to big heart health benefits. Be a label reader and choose foods that are high in fiber and low in saturated and trans fat. Get the whole family on board. Everyone can benefit from a heart healthy diet!
- Jennifer
Related Articles:
Sensei Talks: Be Heart Smart
Sensei Talks: Women’s Heart Rate Helps Detect Health Risk
Labels: heart health, Jennifer
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posted by My Sensei @ Thursday, February 19, 2009   |
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