Guest post by Eli Oki Choo, MS, RD, CDN, Clinical Nutrition Coordinator at The Mount Sinai Hospital. Eli has worked at Mount Sinai for the past 8 years, focusing on heart failure, LVAD, and heart transplant patients.
Heart disease is the nation’s No. 1 killer of men and women and is responsible for 1 in 4 deaths in the United States. The upside is that heart disease can potentially be prevented by making healthy choices. In recognition of American Heart Month, here are some steps you can take to lower your risk for heart disease:
Maintain a healthy weight.
Calories in equals calories out. Balance the calories you take in with the calories you burn by consuming a healthy diet and being physically active. Losing just 10 pounds can lower your risk of heart disease if you are overweight or obese.
Be physically active.
Try to incorporate at least 30 minutes of physical activity 5 to 7 days a week, with a combination of aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities. If you are just starting out, try walking for 10 minutes a few days a week and then gradually increasing the duration, frequency, and intensity over time. Walking requires little time and can be incorporated into your existing daily routine.
Eat a healthy diet.
- A heart healthy diet incorporates foods low in cholesterol, saturated and trans fats, sugar, and sodium.
- Consider the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan. It is rich in nutrients that are associated with lowering blood pressure ̶ mainly potassium, magnesium, calcium, protein, and fiber. Emphasis is placed on eating more fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, skinless poultry and fish, nuts and legumes. Limit fats, red meats, sweets and sugared beverages.
- Consume a variety of fruits and vegetables throughout the day. They are high in nutrients and fiber and relatively low in calories.
- Choose fiber-rich whole grain products. They provide complex carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
- Choose fat-free (skim) or low-fat (1%) dairy products. They contain less saturated fat and cholesterol than whole milk products.
- Limit your intake of foods rich in saturated fat (whole milk products, fatty meats, tropical oils) and trans fat (foods containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oil such as commercially prepared baked goods). They raise bad cholesterol (LDL) levels in your blood. Instead, replace them with healthier monounsaturated (olive and canola oils, avocado, peanut butter) and polyunsaturated fats (walnuts, fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, trout) which can lower LDL levels.
- Limit your sodium intake. The American Heart Association recommends limiting sodium to 1,500 mg/day, equivalent to about 2/3 teaspoon salt. Choose foods low in salt and prepare foods with little or no salt.
- Limit food and beverages with added sugar. These contain zero nutrients and extra calories which can lead to weight gain.
Limit alcohol intake.
If you drink, do so in moderation. No more than two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women. One drink is equivalent to 12 ounces of beer, 4-5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof spirits.