Heart Healthy Living
/
Taken from handsonsuperhealth.com
Good Nutrition is the new BLACK and more people seem to be jumping on this train lately. With the days getting hotter, humid and excruciating, everyone should make it a habit to practice good habits because your heart depends on it. If you are looking for some motivation to get on heart healthy path, check out some tips below....
Crash Diets (a NO GO.) It seems as though everyday someone is creating some new diet fad that everyone seems to want to try, but crash dieting does not help when you are trying to improve your health. Diets that target one type of food group (i.e. those no carbs diet) do not help either. You should try to eat a colorful meal that includes lean meats (proteins,) veggies, fruits and whole grains possess long lasting benefits and results for your body.
Say NO to overeating. LOL this has been my problem since I was a child. Although I have always had a small athletic build, eating is my weakness. We all know that overeating can cause excessive weight gain, my it has also been the cause of diabetes, high cholesterol and heart attacks. Eat in moderation and those recommended six meals/day.
Cut WAY down on the salt. We all know that sodium/salt increases your blood pressure but boy don't we love it. The recommended amount of salt is no more than a teaspoon a day, and if you are a person who already has high blood pressure, I would suggest you cut it out completely. You should always check the sodium content on canned or boxed food and just be conscious of your intake.
Leaner meats. Red meat is usually high in saturated fat, showing that it can be bad for your heart, but that doesn't mean you have to cut it out entirely. Choose your meat wisely and opt for learner cuts and cut that fat out that many of us love. Try to eat more flank, tenderloin or sirloins or turkey and chicken breasts. Also be mindful of meats with steroids (most grocery stores are making it a point for brands to put whether their meat contains steroids on the packaging so look out for that.)
More fish. Most of us know that fish is good for you, but that doesn't mean you need to go eating just fried fish for that added flavor content. Try grilling or roasting fish high in healthy omega-3 fatty acids as an alternative (like salmon and tuna.)
Whole grains. Whole grains have been shown to control blood sugar, helping to reduce the risk of diabetes by about 20-30%. Eat more whole wheat breads, oatmeal, brown and wild rice.
Less deli meats. Sure, I definitely thought that eating deli meat was healthier than eating in other types of meat and boy was I wrong! Delis have been shown to contain salts, nitrates and preservatives that can be bad for the heart. Try whole chicken breasts next time you are thinking about that Subway sandwich.
Eat less when eating out. Just because the restaurants pack more food on that plate than you can handle doesn't mean that you should consume it all. How about saving yourself that guilt and money.... Eat half at the restaurant and save the other for lunch tomorrow (you can thank me later.)
Fiber. Fiber is AHA-mazing! It absorbs fat during digestion reduces artery swelling and also helps maintain weight control (makes you feel fuller faster.) Eat more fruits, veggies, nuts and beans or invest in an all natural fiber powder and add to your water or organic teas (I LOVE the Fiber complex from Herbalife in Apple.)
What are you eating to stay heart healthy?
