Healthy Heart Diet
diet healthy heart plan -- diet healthy heart menu
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Dear Editor, My doctor told me I have high blood pressure, high cholesterol and that I need to lose 50 pounds. Can you suggest a diet that's safe / healthy for weight loss and that's also heart healthy? I was thinking of the Atkins Diet ~~ Sue Dear Sue, You definitely should stay away from the Atkins diet, which tends to emphasize fatty red meats and high fat dairy products. A low carb diet is fine, if it's a balanced diet. We suggest sticking to a low fat diet and lowering your sodium intake. Lowering salt or sodium has been know to help lower blood pressure. Most people consume 5 times the amount of recommended daily sodium. This being said, you should not exceed 2500 mg of sodium intake per day. Read the labels to get a better idea of sodium content. A heart healthy diet also consist of low fat foods. Limit your red meat to 4 to 8 ounces per week and stick with chicken, turkey and fish. Remove the skin from chicken to further reduce fat intake. Avoid junk food which tend to be high in saturated fat. Limit pastries to once or twice a week. Don't eat chips but instead substitute baby carrots with lite vegetable dip. Most vegetable dip taste really good and you still get that crunchy feeling from baby carrots. Reduce cholesterol through a heart healthy diet. Include more whole grains and soy in your diet. Eat a serving of soy nuts each day and of course, reduce consumption of fatty dairy products such as heavy cream, cream sauces, whole milk, eggs and excessive amounts of butter. A heart healthy lifestyle also
includes regular exercise. Take fast pace walks 4 to 5 times per week or
do other cardiovascular exercise for a minimum of 20 minutes
Diet and Healthy Eating Calories, Intake and Cholesterol Exercise and Walking
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