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Need to create a heart healthy diet for yourself? Making heart healthy diet choices sets you up to live a long, strong life, and helps you steer clear of dangerous diseases and conditions.
Most people know that a heart healthy diet means avoiding foods that are high in salt or cholesterol. But there's more to it than that! So what constitutes a heart healthy diet? And how can you integrate it into your lifestyle?
As mentioned above, the first step in creating a heart healthy diet is to reduce your daily salt intake. It's considered normal to consume an average of 4 grams daily - but if you want to keep your ticker in good shape or you are currently suffering from a cardiopulmonary illness, you should aim for 2 grams or less. An easy way to achieve this is to not add any salt to your food, using spices to season instead.
Another trick is to avoid foods or condiments with high salt content. Unfortunately, this means saying adios to most pre-packaged or ready made meals, processed foods and snack foods, as well as items like soya sauce, Ketchup, Baking soda, or bouillon cubes.
Eating out can sometimes be a problem, because when someone else prepares your food it's harder to control the salt content of what you eat. If you do go to restaurants, ask for low sodium items and request that no salt be added to your food. Almost as important as keeping your meals low in salt is to make sure they're low in fat. Steer clear of anything creamy or fried. Eat lots of fiber and fruits and vegetables, and as much as you can try and eat unprocessed foods that are still in their original form. This not only keeps your ticker in good shape, but it also means you'll be getting optimum nutrition from your food.
If you're unsure about which foods to choose or how to plan meals, talk to your doctor. Your doctor can point you in the direction of literature that can help you to learn how to change your meal plan for the better.
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