Heart Disease Diet

A heart disease diet is a diet that is appropriate for everyone, whether they are trying to prevent, delay, or already have heart disease. You have no doubt heard of the four food groups.  Here are the suggestions:

• Increasing fruits and vegetables in your diet is very important, and where the emphasis should be.   Five to ten servings is recommended.  What’s great about fruits and vegetables is that they contain antioxidants, other vitamins and minerals, and fiber.
• Eat whole-grain breads, rice, and pasta.
• When choosing milk and dairy items, buy those that have no fat in them or are low fat such as skim or 1%.
• Choose fish and lean meats (beef, pork, veal, wild meat) and eat poultry without the skin.  This will provide you with iron, protein, and B-vitamins.
• Do not eat organ meats such as liver and heart.
• On your plate, meat should not take more room than the size of a deck of cards.  Instead of eating meat every day, get your protein from beans and legumes instead.
• Do not eat deli meats, weiners, and  sausages.  They contain a lot of sodium and have often been smoked.  The latter two can also contain a lot of fat.  Instead prepare your own luncheon meats at home using meat you cook at home.  You should not be eating more than 2400 mg of salt every day.
• Eat more beans, legumes, and lentils.  Purchase the dry ones, and prepare them at home.  Canned ones contain too much salt.
• If eating eggs, do not eat the yolk as it contains large amounts of cholesterol.
• Stay away from deep-fried foods, baked foods, and pastries.
• Avoid hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated fats, as well as trans fats.   Check food labels for this.
• Stay away from creme soups and sauces, which may be high in fat.
• Stay away from saturated fats, which is found in higher amounts in meat that are not labeled “lean” or “extra lean.”  Butter, shortenings and lard should also not be used. Instead use non-hydrogenated margarine.
• Avoid foods that are high in calories, but have no nutritional content (ex. pop).
• When preparing foods, avoid frying.  Instead, it’s better to roast, boil, or broil.
• Include almonds and other nuts and seeds  in your diet, but remember that they do have a lot of calories.
• Supplement with heart vitamins; the type depends on your present physical condition. See Recommended Heart Supplements for more information.

To help you in preparing heart-healthy meals, I really like and recommend this cookbook: