Eating For A Healthy Heart

Posted by Isabelle On 29 September 2009 Not Commented

Even though we try to eat healthy to stay fit, many at times we end up having a bad diet or consuming bad cholesterol. However, we should always try to have a healthy diet so that our heart remains health and the chances of hear attacks are considerably reduced.

Cholesterol, which gives rise to heart diseases, comes from diets that have a very high level of saturated fat. Therefore, obese people are always at a higher risk of getting heart diseases. Again, a diet rich in sodium will increase the blood pressure giving rise to inflammation and several heart diseases.

If you want to keep heart diseases at a bay and want to improve your overall health, follow the below stated tips thoroughly.

Fishes like sardines, herring and salmons are all very rich sources of Omega 3 essential fatty acids which help to lower your cholesterol to a healthy level. Therefore, these or any other fishes should compulsorily be included in your diet.

Saturated fats, which are very dangerous for the heart, are found in butter, meat and also in coconut oil. Nuts and seafood should replace red meats as your protein source. You should maintain this at least till you lower your cholesterol level to a healthy limit and achieve a healthy weight.

Olive oil which is a very good choice for cooking and dressing as well as for being used as a dipping sauce contains monounsaturated fat which helps protect the heart.

Eating for healthy heart involving giving up sugary foods a lot of sugar can be very harmful for your heart. So, at all costs stay away from cookies, candy, cakes and pastries. Instead, you should consume healthy carbohydrates like whole grain pasta, whole grain breads and brown rice. You should also eat plenty of vegetables and fruits.

To keep your heart fit you should take up healthy methods of cooking. For example, sautéing and stir frying with canola oil or olive oil are very good methods for cooking as you need not dip the food in batter and fry it further. To cook chicken, skin it and bake it in the oven using foil.

Since baking is healthier than frying, always bake your fish. Again, to retain the essential nutrients of vegetables, it is always better to steam them. Butter and cream sauces eaten with the vegetables should be replaced with lemon juice or a seasoning of your choice.

However, let’s not forget that eating healthy takes time to turn into a habit. But, do make the necessary changes in your diet since it’s not only good for your heart, as it prevents heart diseases, but also for the whole of your body.

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