| Heart Disease remains the number one cause of | | | | study published in Journal of the American |
| death in the U.S. among both men and women. | | | | Medical Association found that eating a diet |
| Part of the problem is it is truly a silent | | | | that included plant sterol margarine (such as |
| killer. There are few warning signs of a | | | | Benecol or ProActiv), soy products, almonds |
| heart attack and the signs that are there | | | | and increase fiber was able to lower |
| don't necessarily make us feel bad. The good | | | | cholesterol levels as much as the statin |
| news is there are many lifestyle changes you | | | | drugs and in just 2 weeks time! Have an ounce |
| can make to significantly decrease your risk | | | | of almonds as a snack, or sprinkle them in |
| of heart disease. Here are 9 simple steps to | | | | your cereal or salad. |
| make over your diet for heart health. | | | | |
| | | | 9.Have a little soy: Soy has also been shown |
| 1.Use the right fats: The good fats are found | | | | to lower cholesterol levels. |
| to preserve HDL (protective cholesterol) and | | | | |
| lower LDL (Bad Cholesterol) levels. The good | | | | Using soy on a weekly basis is a great step |
| fats are found in foods such as olive, | | | | towards protecting your heart. If you are not |
| canola, and peanut oils as well as nuts, | | | | a tofu fan, try soy milk or yogurt, garden |
| avocados and olives. | | | | burgers, edamme (soy beans), or soy sausage |
| | | | patties. There are all kinds of ways to |
| 2.Decrease the Saturated Fats: These fats | | | | include soy in your diet! |
| tend to increase the cholesterol made by your | | | | |
| body. They can increase your total and LDL | | | | Sample Heart Healthy Meal Makeover: |
| (Bad) cholesterol levels. Saturated fats are | | | | |
| found in animal products such as dairy, | | | | Sample day |
| poultry (especially the skin), meats, butter | | | | |
| and cream based sauces and dressings. It is | | | | Before: |
| not necessary to omit these foods, just | | | | |
| choose leaner options and have the higher fat | | | | Breakfast: |
| foods once in awhile. | | | | |
| | | | - glass of orange juice |
| 3.Remove all Trans Fats from your pantry! : | | | | |
| Trans Fats are oils that have been hardened | | | | - 2 fried eggs |
| by the hydrogenation process, such as stick | | | | |
| margarine and shortening used to make | | | | - 3 slices of bacon |
| commercial baked goods, chips, and fast | | | | |
| foods. Like saturated fats, these fats | | | | - 2 slices white bread with 3 tsp butter |
| increase total blood cholesterol and LDL | | | | |
| (Bad) cholesterol levels and may even lower | | | | Lunch: |
| HDL (Good) cholesterol levels. Food labels | | | | |
| will be required to list the amount of Trans | | | | - roast beef sandwich on white bread |
| fats in a food product by 2006. Until then, | | | | |
| if the ingredient list on the food label | | | | - potato chips |
| includes the term hydrogenated, or partially | | | | |
| hydrogenated, it contains Trans Fats. Avoid | | | | Snack: |
| these products! | | | | |
| | | | - 1 cup Cheez It crackers |
| 4.Increase Your Fiber! : Soluble fiber helps | | | | |
| lower cholesterol levels in the blood by | | | | Dinner: |
| binding to cholesterol in the intestine so it | | | | |
| cannot be absorbed by the body. Good food | | | | - fried fish strips |
| sources of soluble fiber include beans and | | | | |
| legumes, oranges, apples, prunes, broccoli, | | | | - 1 cup mashed potatoes cooked w/whole milk |
| carrots, oat bran, oatmeal, and some cereals. | | | | and butter |
| Use whole grain products in place of their | | | | |
| white counterparts. Eat at least 20-40 grams | | | | - ½ cup corn |
| of fiber a day. (Most Americans only eat | | | | |
| around 12 grams of fiber a day.) | | | | Diet make over: |
| | | | |
| 5.Omega-3 Fatty Acids every day: Omega-3 | | | | Breakfast: |
| Fatty Acids are essential fatty acids meaning | | | | |
| we have to get them from our diet. These | | | | -glass of calcium fortified orange juice |
| fatty acids may reduce the risk of blood | | | | |
| clotting, decrease inflammation, lower | | | | - scrambled egg beaters |
| triglyceride levels, normalize heart rhythms | | | | |
| and improve the immune system. Consumption of | | | | - 1-2 slices of whole grain bread with 1-2 |
| Omega-3 fatty acids daily may reduce the | | | | tsp Benocol or ProActive spread |
| incidence of sudden cardiac death by 50-70%. | | | | |
| Omega-3 fatty acids are found in: fatty fish | | | | - 1-2 slices soy bacon or sausage links |
| such as salmon, mackerel, lake trout, | | | | |
| halibut, and sardines. Other sources include | | | | Lunch: |
| ground flax seeds, soybeans, canola oil, and | | | | |
| walnuts. | | | | -½ turkey, lettuce, tomato, and avocado |
| | | | sandwich |
| 6.Five To Eight Fruits and Vegetables a day: | | | | |
| Eating fruits and vegetables can help to | | | | - 1 cup vegetable soup |
| decrease your risk of heart disease, cancer, | | | | |
| cataracts, and can help to lower blood | | | | - 8 oz vanilla non-fat yogurt with 1/3 cup of |
| pressure. Fruits and Vegetables are loaded in | | | | berries added |
| vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. The | | | | |
| more fruits and veggies you eat, the more | | | | Snack: |
| antioxidant activity in your body. | | | | |
| | | | 1 ounce almonds |
| How do antioxidants work? Every day we are | | | | |
| exposed to free radicals from our diets, sun, | | | | Dinner: |
| chemical exposure, pollution, etc. These free | | | | |
| radicals promote the plaque build up in our | | | | -3 ounces baked or broiled salmon |
| arteries leading us to increased risk of | | | | |
| heart disease. Antioxidants work by | | | | - ½ cup broiled red potatoes with olive |
| neutralizing these free radicals before they | | | | oil |
| can cause damage to our bodies. | | | | |
| | | | - ½ cup broccoli |
| 7.Folic Acid: High levels of an amino acid | | | | |
| called homocysteine in the blood have been | | | | - 1-2 cups of salad with cut up pears and |
| associated with damage to the blood-vessel | | | | toasted walnutswith 1TB olive oil vinaigrette |
| walls, increased blood clotting, and overall | | | | salad dressing |
| increased risk of cardiovascular disease. | | | | |
| Folate is a B vitamin which has been shown to | | | | Results: |
| decrease these homocysteine levels in the | | | | |
| blood. Good food sources of Folate include | | | | Day 1 = 2300 calories and 114 grams fat; 98 |
| green leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach, | | | | grams sat fat; 45% calories from fat |
| beet greens, and chard as well as legumes, | | | | |
| asparagus, broccoli, oranges, orange juice, | | | | Day 2 = 1800 calories and 58 grams fat; 14 |
| whole and fortified grains, walnuts and | | | | grams sat fat; 29% calories from fat. |
| peanuts. | | | | |
| | | | Making small changes can go a long way to |
| 8.Add some almonds! Studies show that eating | | | | improve your heart health! What changes can |
| an ounce of almonds a day can help to lower | | | | you start making? |
| your cholesterol. A matter of fact, a recent | | | | |