Effective strategies for protecting your heart health

Our lifelong eating habits, it seems, originate in the womb. Scientific evidence shows that a pregnant mother's diet directly affects an infant's food choices in the future. And throughout a person’s lifetime, as they pass from childhood to adolescence and adulthood, what they eat, and drink will shape the habits that may help or harm their cardiovascular health.

Heart health is directly linked to what we eat. Some foods are good for our hearts and others are bad; some should be eliminated from our diets and others should be consumed sparingly. “Heart-friendly” foods can be eaten in generous amounts.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are among the top four causes of death, along with diabetes, cancer, and chronic respiratory illnesses — all non-transmissible conditions that are in many cases preventable.

The cost of poor cardiovascular health not only impacts our quality of life. Spending on health care for preventable conditions can break a family's budget if you don't have health coverage. Individual care and prevention are essential, as with so many other aspects of health. Make sure you keep your health coverage up to date so your heart can be healthy for a long time.

Why Nutrition Matters

Food impacts our health in different ways. They are integral to the functioning of the complex machine that is the human body, providing nutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, vitamins, and water) that enable everything from cellular processes to motor functions.

But eating some of these foods in excess can cause this machine to start breaking down. Products high in saturated and trans fats, for instance, can clog arteries, generate a higher intake of sodium and sugar, and lead to weight gain, some of the principal risk factors for CVDs.

A good diet can help prevent these issues.

The American Heart Association (AHA) is providing the following recommendations on foods to include in your diet and foods to avoid.

INCLUDE

• Fruits and vegetables: Deeply colored fruits and veggies, like leafy greens. Evidence backed by scientific research has shown that diets rich in fruits and vegetables (with the exception of white potatoes) are associated with a reduced risk of developing CVDs.
• Whole grain foods (whole wheat bread, rice, and pasta; oatmeal; quinoa): Eating two to three servings of whole grain foods a day is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
• Healthy sources of protein, mostly protein from plants (legumes and nuts), fish and seafood: Long- and short-term reviews of studies have concluded that 2 to 3 servings of fish per week are associated with a lower incidence of mortality for all causes of CVD: myocardial infarction, stroke, and heart failure. This is due to the omega-3 fatty acid content of fish and the substitution effect of replacing sources of animal protein (such as fatty red meat or processed meats) with fish and seafood. Soybeans (including edamame and tofu), beans, lentils, chickpeas, and peas are common types of legumes.
  
• Plant-based oils: Oils that are derived from plants, including soy, olive, sunflower, and canola oil, can have a positive effect on lipids and lipoproteins in the blood when they replace oils high in saturated fats.

AVOID

• Beverages and foods with added sugars: The added sugar found in many products, even the most seemingly unlikely ones, is one of the most controversial topics in nutrition and can dramatically raise the risk of heart disease.
• Ultra-processed foods. These products are the opposite of unprocessed foods, which are in their natural state. They also differ from minimally processed foods, such as canned tuna, which contains added sodium. In general, ultra-processed products are made with substances extracted from other foods, such as fats, starches, added sugars, and hydrogenated fats. fSodas, hot dogs, fast food, cold cuts, and cookies are examples of ultra-processed foods.
• Foods high in salt. Salt consumption is directly proportional to CVD risk: the higher the intake, the greater the likelihood of developing heart disease.
  
• So-called “tropical” oils and animal fats: Tropical oils, which include coconut and palm oil, and animal fats, such as butter and lard, contain a higher amount of saturated fats that increase the risk of heart disease.
  

Finding a good primary care doctor can be one of the best investments for reducing the risk of heart disease. Call us if you need an affordable health coverage, and we’ll answer inquiries in your preferred language: (844) 303-2233. Or Drop us a line at Healthinsurance@holadoctor.net