Heartfelt Diet Choices: Avoiding Heart Disease

Food. For many Americans, it's a love affair that begins with the taste buds but

can end with decreased health. Making the choice to eat healthy often takes effort when there are so many convenient and tasty options out there that aren't that great for your body. But a healthy diet can be a crucial factor in avoiding the leading cause of death in the United States -- heart disease. In 2007 alone there were over 600,000 deaths related to the disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). When it comes to your diet, putting your heart first can be highly beneficial not just in avoiding health problems but helping you feel great. Here are some tips and suggestions to help you make some heartfelt decisions when considering what you eat.

Diet Tips from the Experts

The Mayo Clinic provides some great tips on what to consider in a heart-conscious diet in an article published on the clinic's website. First is controlling your intake of unhealthy fats and cholesterol. In effort to reduce trans fat saturate fat intake, the article suggests being careful about the amount of solid fats you cook with and eat, including butter, margarine, and shortening. Better fats can be found in olive and canola oil.

Other diet suggestions include finding good low-fat protein sources, eating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

According to the CDC, and someone dies from a coronary event every minute in the United States. Diet is one of the many lifestyle choices that can go a long way in preventing heart problems. The CDC recommends choosing lean meat and skinless poultry as well as keeping cholesterol intake to below 300 milligrams each day. The center also recommends avoiding sugary foods and drinks, using little or no salt in food preparation, and limiting how much alcohol you drink (one alcoholic drink per day for women and two for men).

Keep Smiling

While a healthy diet is essential, managing stress is another way you can work to avoid heart disease. While the American Heart Association (AHA) states that the link between stress and heart disease is unclear, high stress can keep your body keyed up for extended periods of time, taking a toll on artery walls. Laughing is a great way to relieve stress, but the AHA also recommends spending time with family and friends, regular exercise, staying organized, among others.

Learning more ways to make your heart happy and consulting with your doctor regarding cardiology in New Jersey or wherever you are located can have great benefits.

by: Art Gib

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