I don’t know if any of you noticed it but the rate of heart disease is increasing day by day and that is an alarming situation. If we won’t control our eating habits as soon as possible, we might have to deal with bigger problems.
The heart is the most important organ of your body and it’s never too late to start taking care of your heart. The first and foremost reason for heart disease is a poor diet and eating habits, other than that lack of physical activities make your heart weak too. If you are someone who wants to live a long and healthy life you should better start paying attention to these alarming situations. However, death is inevitable. But that does not mean you stop taking care of your health. There are many things you can do to prevent heart disease and one of them is a healthy diet.
1. Why is a healthy diet important?
Many people assume you only need a diet to lose or gain weight but in reality, you need a healthy diet just so you can live a healthy life and transfer these healthy eating habits to your next generation.
2. What does the study say about a healthy diet?
You can also read studies on this topic. For instance, as we all know that heart disease is increasing in the United States two times faster than anywhere in the world, and even study shows that 45 percent of people in the United States will have at least one issue related to the disease by 2035.
But this disease is not only targeting America but other parts of the world too. And it’s high time we should start paying attention to it. However, you might be aware of certain foods that can cause you heart disease but still consuming them is alarming. In this blog, I am going to tell you how you can prevent heart disease with a healthy diet.
3. Eat in a portion for a diet
How much you eat is as important as what you eat therefore you should start by maintaining your portion. Many people have this bad habit of eating everything they get and any time of the day which not only increases the rate of heart disease but causes you many other problems too. We are not saying that you should stop eating at all but try to eat in a portion so you don’t feel burdened. Here are the tips to control food portion;
- Use a small plate or bowl
- Eat low-calorie foods
- Have nutrients rich foods in your healthy diet
- Consume a small amount of high-calorie food
4. Increase the consumption of Fruits and Vegetables for a diet
Fruits and vegetables are the best things to prevent any disease but make sure you are having a seasonal fruit and vegetable accordingly. These are the source of minerals and vitamins. So rather than getting multivitamins, you should eat fruits and vegetables for a healthy diet. Include these two points especially in your healthy diet list.
5.Choose whole grain for a healthy diet
Moving on to whole grain for fiber and other nutrients. You need whole-grain nutrients to regulate your blood pressure and heart health. So the whole grain is also a very important thing to consider in your diet. Here is the list of whole-grain products you need to have;
- Whole-grain bread
- Whole-grain flour
- High-fiber cereal with 5 g or more fiber in a serving
- Whole grains such as brown rice, barley, and buckwheat (kasha)
- Whole-grain pasta for a healthy diet
- Oatmeal (steel-cut or regular)
6. Limit your saturated fats for a diet
You really need to limit your unhealthy and saturated fats. Because it helps in reducing blood cholesterol and lowers your risk of coronary artery disease. A high blood cholesterol level can lead to a buildup of plaques in your arteries, called atherosclerosis, which can increase your risk of heart attack and stroke. So if you need to control your cholesterol levels then start limiting saturated fats. Here’s how you can cut unhealthy fats.
- Eat lean meat with less than 10% fat
- Limit the usage of butter, margarine, and shortening when cooking and serving
Use low-fat substitutions
- Use olive oil
- Canola oil
- Vegetable and nut oils
- Margarine, trans fat-free
- Cholesterol-lowering margarine, such as Benecol, Promise Activ, or Smart Balance
- Nuts, seeds
6. Reduce the consumption of Salt for a healthy diet
As some people say, salt is a poison if you don’t use it wisely. Because if you use too much salt in your food it might result in high blood pressure and that increases a risk factor for heart disease. This would be the first thing to consider in a healthy diet. Don’t cut it down completely because it has its own benefits but use it wisely at least. You can choose your condiments carefully if you want to reduce the amount of salt you eat. Here’s how;
- Herbs and spices
- Salt-free seasoning blends
- Canned soups or prepared meals with no added salt or reduced salt
- Reduced-salt versions of condiments, reduced-salt soy sauce, and reduced-salt ketchup for a healthy diet
6.1 Stop smoking for a healthy diet
As we all know that smoking is injurious to health and causes heart disease but still some of us are not ready to drop the habit of smoking. Personally, I think, the greatest thing you can do to yourself is to stop the intake of tobacco in any form. It would be hard initially but you won’t regret the decision.
In fact, a study shows; ‘much of the excess risk due to smoking may be drastically lowered after quitting. Additionally, the excess risk for all-cause mortality—that is, death from any cause—decreases to the level of a “never-smoker” 20 years after quitting.’
6.2 Keep a track of weight for a healthy diet
You should always keep a track of your weight. Because once you stop maintaining your healthy weight then there is no going back. It is obvious that excess weight contributes to heart disease.
There’s a study that shows; ‘over one million women, body-mass index (BMI) was a strong risk factor for coronary heart disease. The incidence of coronary heart disease increases progressively with BMI.’
Exercise more often for a healthy diet Last but not least. Keep a healthy diet but do not stop exercising because it is vital for your physical health. So these are some of the ways that can help you prevent heart disease and it’s high time to implement these habits in your healthy diet as I said above.
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