Healthy Eating Guide: For Your Heart’s Sake, Consider a Change

Bad cholesterol is something to think about. Even if you are young, it’s good to take into consideration. It’s easiest to form a good, healthy diet and healthy eating practices early on. While we cannot eat healthy all our lives,  we can limit the damage we do to our bodies early on.  Just as it’s good to limit the amount of sun we get when we’re young, it is good to adopt wise eating practices as early as we can.

And eating healthy for your heart is something everyone should try to do; there are certain things you can consume, such as salmon (and certain nuts, like BRAZIL) which are very healthful for you!

 

Your Body and Your Heart Knows – Eating Healthy

Your Heart responds to the proper food diet.  We know certain things for sure – a diet high in saturated fats is not good for you – not great long term. Eating lots of junk food or dessert with “bad fats” is a risk factor for heart disease. People that are obese are more prone to heart disease. A diet high in sodium may elevate your blood pressure, leading to inflammation and even heart disease. 

To help prevent heart disease and improve your health, put the tips below to good use.

 

Healthy Eating Guide: Eat Lots of Fish For Optimum Benefit To Your Heart

Herring, sardines, and salmon are all excellent sources of Omega 3 essential fatty acids. Other fish are great to, although Omega 3 may help to get your cholesterol down to a healthier level.

 

Healthy Eating Guide – Choosing The Right Oils

Choosing healthy fats, or healthful oils such as olive oil, walnut oil, avocado oil can be a boon to your health.   The saturated fats will increase the risk of heart disease. It’s found in meat, butter, and even coconut oil (of course, there’s virgin coconut oil).  You should avoid the bad  saturated fats until your cholesterol levels are back down, and you are at a healthy weight.  Even those people who love red meat can enjoy seafood and nuts for their mainstay of protein.

Monounsaturated fats such as olive oil are healthful; olive oil provides protection to the heart, and is best used in its pure form (for the heart) .  Specifically, on salads (in its pure state) is better than olive oil used to cook with.   Or as a dipping sauce.

 

Garlic and Edible Herbs

       

Garlic, when used daily, is really excellent.  Any quality garlic product, whether dried or in pill form, provides some type of cardio benefit.  I can attest to this, as I use it.  And certain edible herbs help out the heart – for instance, Potassium is quite essential for a good strong heart.

 

 

Try To Consume Plenty of fiber
  

Fiber can help you control your cholesterol. You can find fiber in whole grain products, nuts, or fruit to help control sugar absorption as well, which will help you keep your digestive system healthy.  One fruit that has fiber (& potassium) is BANANAS.

 

Be Selective When Choosing Carbohydrates

Eating for your heart involves staving  off certain things that are bad for you –  from sugary foods such as candy, cookies, cakes, to breads and heavy  pastries. Many of today’s pastries have unpure additives.  Better to make your own dessert really, and use Carob or unrefined sugar.  

Eating a ton of sugar isn’t great for you.  There are healthy carbohydrates – healthy whole grain breads (breads with “7 grains”),  whole grain pasta, brown rice, and a lot of vegetables. You should make fruits and vegetables a main staple of your diet.

 

Healthy Cooking Methods:  Healthy Eating Guide

Stir fry, or saute with olive oil,  walnut oil, or  canola oil – these are  great methods, and try not to  dip your food in batter and fry it anymore.  Better to use a Rice steamer, or steam your vegetables instead of boil and fry methods.  If you cook chicken, take the skin off, and then bake it in the oven in foil or use a “NuWave Oven”   (Infrared heat).   Refer to this healthy eating guide for more tips.

Instead of frying your fish you should always bake it. Steaming your vegetables can help maintain the most nutrients. You should use cream sauces or lots of butter anymore either. When you eat vegetables, try squeezing lemon juice on them or using your favorite seasonings.

As you make the proper changes to your diet,don’t be too hard on yourself.  Make small goals, and then “celebrate small successes”.  After all, nothing comes overnite.  It does require time for  habits to form, and solidify.  Eating healthy is a good adaptation to make to your lifestyle, especially for your heart (Long term).

 

And if you can incorporate both meditation or exercise with your Healthy Eating routine, then you’ll go a long way on the road to preventing  heart disease.  For specific help on Womens Heart Disease, you may wish to visit the CDC’s information here .

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