East Atlanta Cardiology

What is a Heart Healthy Diet?

There are many things that can affect your heart and your overall health such as smoking, family history of heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, inactivity and obesity.  Eating a heart healthy diet can improve your energy, help you lose weight and decrease your risk of many medical problems including coronary artery disease and diabetes. You have probably heard many times that you need to improve your diet and eat healthier, but what does that mean?

Calories

The first thing one needs to consider is the amount of calories they consume in a day.  The amount of calories one needs is based upon one’s size and heir activity level. An Olympic swimmer would need to eat a great deal more calories than someone who does no exercise at all.  The American Heart Association suggests the following as to how many calories a person should eat in a day.

Fat and Cholesterol

There are several types of fats found in your food.  You need a certain amount of fat in your diet and it is suggested that only 30 percent or less of your calories should come from fat.  Check the label on packaged foods to determine the percentage of calories that come from fat.  Many foods offer low fat versions, but be mindful about what kind of fat is in the food.  Choose monounsaturated fat foods such as olives, peanuts, and nuts. These foods will not raise your cholesterol if you eat them in moderation.  Omega-3 fats help fight heart disease and are found in certain types of high fat fish such as albacore tuna, mackerel and salmon.  It is suggested that at least 2 servings of food come from this group per week.  Another type of fat is polyunsaturated fat that is found in sunflower oil, canola oil, sesame and other plant oils.  This should account for 10 percent or less of your caloric intake. 

Another type of fat is saturated, hydrogenated or trans-fat.  These are solid at room temperature and include such things as shortening, margarine and butter.  Hydrogenated and trans-fats are similar to saturated fats and can increase blood cholesterol.  It is best to avoid these types of fats as much as possible.  Many food producers are eliminating trans-fat from their products and advertise “no trans-fats” on the front label.

Dietary cholesterol is also a type of fat that is found in animal foods such as beef, fish, and poultry.  It is suggested that one should eat less then 300 mg of cholesterol per day.  Organ meats such as liver and egg yolks are also high in cholesterol.  It is best to eat lean cuts of meat such as fish or poultry.  When you cook things that require ground beef, try a leaner cut such as ground sirloin or ground turkey.  More on a low cholesterol diet is available under our education section.

Portion

An easy rule of thumb when preparing your plate is to imagine your plate cut into fourths. One fourth should be breads and starches, one fourth should be meat and one half of your plate should be vegetables.  READ YOUR LABELS! The package may say only 80 calories per serving, but the serving size might be a very small portion.  Measure your food according to package directions.

Breads and carbohydrates include:

• Breads, biscuits, croissants, and muffins
• Cookies, pies, cakes and pastries
• Potatoes including French fries, baked potatoes, chips and hash browns
• Granola
  

* When choosing breads, choose wheat or whole grain breads that are high in fiber

* Limit or eliminate high sugar breads such as pastries, cakes, and pies

* Be weary of low carb diets that encourage you to eat lot of high fat meat. In general, any diet that insists that you eliminate all of one thing is not healthy.  Everything should be in moderation.  If a low carb diet has helped you loose weight in the past, try a heart healthy version such as the South Beach Diet

Fruits and Vegetables

• Think to yourself the more colorful, the better
• Avoid frying your vegetables or cooking them with pork or animal fat
• Try steaming your vegetables and seasoning LIGHTLY with a salt substitute or other spices 
• Avoid using oils and butter when cooking vegetables
• Include green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, lettuce, and asparagus
  

Meats

• Avoid bacon, fatback, and sausages. If you must, try a turkey substitute
• Avoid canned meats that are canned in oil
• Limit lunch meats and try to buy low sodium versions or buy freshly cut lean meat form the deli.
• do not eat more than 4 eggs per week
• buy low fat cheeses and limit your servings
• avoid organ meats such as liver and chicken livers and gizzards
  

Salt

Another thing to take into consideration is the amount of sodium you take in per day.  Even if you do not suffer from high blood pressure, it is best to limit your salt intake.  Processed foods and frozen entrees can be very high in sodium.  Another source that many people are unaware of are canned soups. Anything that you can make from scratch will have less sodium because you control how much goes in.  Packaged foods are high in sodium because it is a very good food preservative. Choose frozen or fresh vegetables rather than canned.  The American Heart Association suggests that adults reduce their sodium content to 2300 mg or less per day.  They report that the average American consumes 6,000 to 18,000 mg per day, an astronomical number considering the body only needs around 200 mg each day. Be careful using salt substitutes because they are made with potassium instead of sodium.  Potassium is good for the body, but like anything else, too much can be dangerous.  Keep in mind that 1000 mg equals 1 gram.

Eating Out

People are eating out more than ever.  Many households are forced to have two incomes and it may seem practically impossible for someone to cook a healthy meal every night.  Here are some tips to help keep you from eating out.

• Plan your meals at the beginning of the week.  Make sure you have all of your ingredients before the week begins
• Be willing to try new recipes.  There are many meals that can slow cook over the day in a crock pot.
• Cook large meals that can be frozen on your weekend off.  Prepare single size portions that fit in your freezer. 
  

When you do eat out, keep these things in mind:

• Choose a side besides French fries.  Most places have a side salad or a baked potato.  However, if you choose one of these, make sure you opt for a low cal dressing or use minimal butter and sour cream on a potato.  Many places are offering better choices such as fruit bowls. 
• Choose lean meats. Opt for a grilled chicken sandwich with no or light mayonnaise instead of a hamburger. Avoid fried foods such as fried chicken.
• The best option is to drink water.  Otherwise, choose unsweetened tea or a diet soda.  Soft drinks are just empty calories that offer no nutritional value.
• Watch your portions.  Just because a restaurant gives you large amounts of food, it does not mean you need to eat everything on your plate (despite what you were taught as a child).  A general rule to go by is eat till you are no longer hungry, not until you are full. If you feel “stuffed”, you ate too much.
  

As you go along, you will find yourself giving into temptation.  You may find yourself in situations such as family settings where there are not many healthy options. Traditional southern cooking is very unhealthy and is usually at the center of big gatherings in the south.  In such situations, just limit your portions.  When you do slip up, don’t give up.  Treat each day as a new chance to better your life.  Combined with an exercise program, a healthy diet can lead to a healthier tomorrow.