Eating For a Healthy Heart – A Simple Approach For Your Health

Monday, March 8th, 2010 at 12:12 am

Eating for a healthy heart can be accomplished without making huge variations to your eating habits or lifestyle. Every day more and more people take on this challenge and it’s evident in the advertisements that we see and the news stories that we hear on a daily basis. These days it’s hard to turn on the TV or the radio and not here some ad for heart healthy cereal or hear another news report about the increase in heart disease due to obesity. These stories and combination with a personal scare in someone life can often times cause individuals to start eating for a healthy heart. Research has shown that eating for a healthy heart can help an individual increase their lifespan and therefore increase their quality of life as they age. Here are some very simple things that you can do to improve your eating, help your heart and allow yourself to live a longer healthier life. One great way to start eating for a healthy heart is to make sure that when you do choose to consume fats that you pick mono saturated fats versus saturated fats or trans fats. Examples of mono saturated fats or oils such as canola oil and olive oil, both of these are much healthier for you than margarines, butters and animal fats. Also by choosing polyunsaturated fats that are traditionally found in nuts and seeds you also be taking great strides towards eating for a healthy heart, if you’re not sure which is which you should choose olive oil, canola oil, margarine labeled trans-fat-free, cholesterol-lowering margarine such as Promised Active, Benecol or Smart Balance. On the other hand you should avoid butter, bacon, gravy, lard, cream sauce, non-dairy creamer’s, cocoa butter, coconut, palm, cottonseed and palm kernel oils as all of these contain unhealthy fats that put your heart at risk. In conjunction with controlling the types of fats you eat in order to start eating for a healthy heart you also need to pay attention to the types of protein sources that you’re choosing to take it. It’s very important to choose lean meats, fish, poultry, egg whites and low-fat dairy products as your primary sources of protein. You should also look to choose lower fat options and other things such as skim milk versus whole milk and chicken breasts over fried chicken. All of these factors play a role in eating for a healthy heart and in the long run will help keep your arteries clean of plaque and lower the risk of heart attack and stroke. Another great alternative to high-fat meats are fish. Some types of fish like cod, halibut and tuna have less cholesterol, saturated fat and total fat then you meats or poultry. Certain types of fish also contain omega-3 fatty acids which can actually lower blood fats called triglycerides and can actually reduce your risk of having a sudden cardiac event. You’ll find the highest percentages of omega-3 fatty acids in cold water fish like herring, mackerel and salmon. Other methods of introducing omega-3 fatty acids to your diet and for eating for a healthy heart include consuming flaxseed, walnuts, soy beans and canola oil. Keeping these heart healthy facts in mind will help you eat for a healthy heart while fueling your body and keeping your arteries clean and mind sharp. Everyone wants to feel better, look better and be happier. For more information on eating for a healthy heart go to http://healthylivinginformation.net/HUK and start your plan of eating healthy today!