Why To Choose A Heart Safe Diet Plan
March 10, 2010 by Ricardo D Argence
With more awareness of the risks of obesity and cardiovascular disease than ever, it’s a good time to find information on living your life in a healthier way – and it’s always a good time to start taking care of yourself.
Eating a heart-healthy diet is one of the best ways to prevent heart disease. A healthy, safe diet plan which takes your cardiovascular function into account along with regular exercise can go a long way towards good heart health.
The most important part of a great diet plan for your heart is fresh vegetables and fruits. Eat plenty of different ones to provide your entire body with the nutrition it needs for good health. Though everyone knows that they should eat their vegetables and fruits, it’s very important to have variety in your diet.
When you ensure that your diet includes a variety of different fresh vegetables and fruits, you give your body the nutrients and minerals it needs to support good cardiovascular function along with every other system in your body. Try to eat as large of a variety of vegetables and fruits as you can every day. Vegetables should make up about four fifths of this dietary intake, fruits the other fifth.
Another benefit of eating plenty of fruits and vegetables is that they are also rich in dietary fiber, which is one of the important components of any healthy and safe diet plan. Fiber helps keep your metabolism higher, improves digestion and is beneficial all around. A great diet plan for your heart should include ample amounts of fiber.
Other good sources of fiber include beans and other legumes, whole grains and many fruits. Berries are an especially good choice, being good sources of fiber as well as vitamins and other compounds which help to protect your heart.
Whenever you can, use fresh produce instead of canned or frozen fruits and vegetables. They contain more nutrients and are free of the preservatives and added sugar and salt found in many of these foods. You can use frozen vegetables and fruits when fresh is not an option, but canned produce should be avoided in general since they tend to contain so little in the way of nutrients.
Limit your sodium intake; sodium tends to raise blood pressure, which puts strain on your heart. Sugar should also be kept to a minimum, since it can lead to weight gain and any excess weight you carry also forces your heart to work harder.
Choose lean proteins such as poultry, fish and lean cuts of beef and pork. Beans are also a good source of protein, as are eggs; however, egg yolks are high in cholesterol, so egg whites are a healthier choice.
Heart-healthy choices for protein in your diet should include cold-water fish at least twice a week. Cold-water fish are a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids, as are nuts such as almonds, cashews, and peanuts. Along with providing great sources of protein, nuts and fish that contain Omega-3 fatty acids feature benefits such as lowering your risk for coronary heart disease and improving cellular function throughout your body.
Dairy such as low-fat cheese, milk and yogurt can provide a good source of protein as well as healthy fats. Obtain your other healthy fats from monounsaturated sources such as vegetable-based oils, nuts and fish. These can help provide you with good fats that are essential inside your body and also help you avoid unhealthy saturated and trans-fats.
Water and Exercise. Drinking plenty of water as part of your heart healthy diet plan. Water makes up more than 70 percent of your body mass and is essential for healthy heart and blood function.
Although it may not be your favorite thing, aerobic exercise still has to be a major part of any heart-safe diet plan. Thirty minutes of continuous aerobic activity should be practiced at least two to three times weekly for you to experience heart health benefits. Exercise should also be used as a major tool to control your weight at a healthy balance for your height. This can increase heart strength and health.
Don’t waste your time and money. If you want to lose weight fast, we have reviewed several successful diet plans for quick weight loss. You can also watch my videos about healthy diets that work to lose weight quickly.
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