Heart Healthy Diet

Source: Diet and Heart Disease, National Institute of Nutrition

 Following a heart-healthy diet is essential for maintaining an ideal body weight, body fat, and normal blood lipid levels. Keeping these parameters under control helps prevent obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia—diet-related risk factors for heart disease. Prolonged faulty eating habits and unhealthy foods can lead to weight gain, elevated blood lipids (such as cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL cholesterol), and the development of atherosclerosis and thrombosis. Adopting a heart-healthy diet reduces the severity of these risks by preventing blood vessel injury and fat deposition. A well-balanced, prudent diet can help prevent or delay the progression of heart disease.

Prescription for a healthy heart diet plan

1. Maintain desirable body weight. Consult a qualified nutritionist or dietitian to guide you about your ideal body weight.
2. Eat complex carbohydrates, low glycemic foods and fiber rich diets.
3. Limit total fat, saturated fat and trans fats. Consume vegetable oils as prescribed for you.
4. One-third of the prescribed oils allowed for you should be butter or ghee.
5. Experts recommend a dietary fiber intake of at least 25 gm per day for women and 30 gm per day for men. For the first time, the committee considered fiber recommendations based on energy intake and deemed about 40 g/2000 kcal as a safe intake level.
6. Eat food as close to their natural state and choose foods such as whole grains, cereals, and pulses. Resistant starches are beneficial.
7. Avoid processed foods and refined foods.
8. Eat whole fruits and vegetables daily as advised. They provide vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber.
9. Omega-3 fats are heart-friendly foods and good for immune boosting. Experts advise fish eaters to eat fish about 2-3 times a week.
10. Intake of garlic as part of a heart healthy diet helps lower cholesterol and blood pressure.
11. Cut down salt use to 5-7 gm/day. Stay away from preservatives, bottled and canned foods which are high in salt.
12. Choose cooking methods wisely and stay away from fried and salty foods.
13. Avoid alcohol or cut down on alcohol intake. Cut down on alcohol if you regularly consume drinks.
14. Manage stress and learn to relax.
15. Consult the dietician expert to guide you to consume carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, fibre and water intake in their proper proportions. A qualified nutritionist include antioxidant-rich foods which boost immunity, as suitable for your health.

About Author

Pallavi Pinge is a Clinical Nutritionist and Dietitian | Content Director & Editor for health websites | has a passion for digital health and enjoys promoting health and wellness. She’s the founder and director of Ambrosia Wellness, where she provides personalized nutrition counseling, education, and coaching to individuals with various health conditions.  You can follow her on her social media channels below to stay tuned in with the latest in health and wellness | Health Blog | Contact her for appointments |