An important part of a heart- healthy lifestyle is making healthy food choices. You can create heart-healthy and nutritious meals you and your family will love.
It is not all or nothing
According to a new dietary guidance report, balance is the latest word on heart-healthy eating. Your eating habits should not focus on single foods because one size does not fit all. Learn to build a healthy lifestyle that works for you and your family.
Basic Nutrition
Learn the basics of healthy nutrition and make minor changes to your eating habits. Simple changes can help you and your family stay healthy. It is not as hard as you may think to achieve benefit to your heart and health.
Read Nutrition Labels
Nutrition labels can help you make healthier choices. The label shows you the number of calories, fat, fiber, protein, and vitamins per serving of the food. Compare assorted brands of the same products, nutrition facts can vary greatly. For example, one brand of chicken soup may have more calories and sodium than another brand for the same serving size. Download and save our nutrition label infographic.
Try for a calorie deficit
This means you should use at least as many calories as you take in. Talk with your doctor about the number of calories you should be eating. Your age, gender, and physical activity help to determine what your daily caloric intake should be.
Regular physical activity should be a part of your heart-healthy lifestyle. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous each week. If scheduling regular exercise is hard, find ways to incorporate short bursts of activity in your daily life. Things like taking the stairs, parking farther away, do not eat in front of the television and stand up and stretch occasionally.
We published “Your Heart and Exercise” in September that offers activity ideas to strengthen your heart.
For more information on how to stay active in winter refer to our “Stay Active this Winter” article we published in December.
Eat a healthy overall
Remember that your choices overall are what count. It is possible to follow a heart-healthy dietary pattern regardless of whether food is prepared at home, ordered in a restaurant or online, or purchased as a prepared meal. Eat a healthy diet that emphasizes a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Choose healthy sources of proteins such as legumes and nuts, fish, and seafood. Keeping processed foods, added sugar and salt to a minimum. Download and save our healthy eating infographic.
Alcohol and heart-healthy lifestyle
The American Heart Association recommends moderation, but you should talk with your healthcare team about the risks and benefits for you. Read what AHA says in their “Is drinking alcohol part of a healthy lifestyle?” article.
Everything in Moderation
You can still enjoy many of your favorite dishes and still eat healthy overall. By emphasizing healthy nutritious foods in your daily life, the occasional “treat” in moderation will be fine. Per the American Heart Association, “it is all about making smart choices to build an overall healthy dietary pattern.”
Talk to your doctor about good nutrition and making healthy food and drink choices.
At Alpine Cardiology, Dr. Bobish and her staff are committed to keeping you healthy & heart-smart!