Consumer Reports released it’s recommendations for a healthy heart which includes very specific guidelines regarding your diet. The age old advice of low salt and low fat are no longer. Instead follow these practical uncomplicated guidelines to reduce your risk of heart disease by 30% (similar to taking cholesterol lowering drugs).
A true heart-healthy diet can be powerfully effective.
Guidelines
- Make vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and beans the centerpieces of your meals – These foods contain antioxidants, fiber, and healthy fats.
- Eat beef, poultry, and pork occasionally or in small, 3- to 4-ounce portions—about the size of a deck of cards.
- Limit Sweets – added sugar which is sugar that is put into foods, not the naturally occurring sugar found mainly in fruits and dairy—raises blood pressure and cholesterol levels
- Many fatty foods—avocados, fatty fish like salmon, nuts, seeds, and olive and other vegetable oils—are rich in heart-healthy unsaturated fats
- Eat eggs – new research shows that the cholesterol in food has a smaller impact on your overall cholesterol levels than once thought
- Minimize Processed Foods – foods in a bag or a box tend to be higher in refined grains, sugar, and sodium.
To read the entire article: The Healing Power of a Heart-Healthy Diet
