About 12.6 million Americans currently have heart disease.
1.1 million Americans will experience a serious heart event this year.
One in four Americans have some form of cardiovascular disease. Every 34 seconds one American will die as a result of cardiovascular disease.
No other disease claims as many women's lives as cardiovascular disease. One American woman dies each minute as a result of cardiovascular disease.
Around 700,000 Americans will have a stroke this years. That's one stroke every 45 seconds.
HEART DISEASE IS THE SINGLE BIGGEST KILLER OF AMERICANS. IT KILLS AS MANY AMERICANS AS THE NEXT 5 LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH.
One important step in reducing your risk of heart disease is to change your diet.
These are what you should consume more of:
1. Vegetable oils, nuts, seeds and fish.
These foods contain monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fatty acids. These are good for the heart.
Monounsaturated fatty acids help increase the level of good cholesterol.
There are three chemical subgroups of unsaturated fatty acids called essential fatty acids. These are omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, and omega-9 monounsaturated fatty acids.
Omega-3 fatty acids are found in fish oils (docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaneoic acids), plants and seeds (alpha-linolenic acid) and have significant benefits. For example they improve your good cholesterol levels, reduce your overall heart disease risk and may reduce your chances of developing an irregular heart rhythm.
The American Heart Association and other experts recommend that you should get most of your unsaturated fats from omega-3 fatty acids
Omega 6 fatty acids are found in corn, safflower, soybean, and sunflower oil. However a high consumption of omega-6 fatty acids will result in weight gain and will give you a higher risk of getting certain cancers and some chronic diseases.
Omega-9 fatty acids are found in canola and olive oil. They may also contain chemicals that block the harmful affects of omega-6 fatty acids.
Eating fish twice a week will improve your good cholesterol, lower your chance of dying from heart disease, and improve your blood pressure. Choose oil fish like salmon, mackerel, or sardines as they are the most healthy and are high in omega-3. Avoid fish that are high in mercury like shark, king mackerel, tilefish or swordfish. Fish is the best source of protein and is better for your cardiac health than chicken or lean meat.
The amount of polyunsaturated fat that you eat should be up to 10 percent of your daily calorie intake. The amount of monounsaturated fat that you eat should be up to 15 percent of your daily calorie intake.
2. Oats, lentils, potatoes, apples, pinto beans, citrus, black beans and barley.
These foods contain soluble fiber that helps increase your levels of good cholesterol. Soluble fiber may also reduce blood pressure.
When you increase the amount of soluble fiber in your diet you should also increase the amount of water that you drink.
3. Wheat bran, whole grains, seeds, nuts, legumes, and fruit and vegetable peels
These foods contain insoluble fiber. Eating insoluble fiber may help with weight lost and lower your risk of heart disease.
4. Soy products (not soy sauce).
Soy products are rich in both soluble and insoluble fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, as well as providing all essential proteins.
5. Green tea.
Green tea is rich in chemicals that protect against bad cholesterol.
6. Coffee.
Coffee contains phenol, a chemical that helps stop oxidation of bad cholesterol.
7. Potassium-rich food like bananas, oranges, pears, prunes, cantaloupes, tomatoes, dried peas and beans, nuts, potatoes, and avocados.
A potassium-rich diet can help you achieve healthy blood pressure levels and reduce the risk of you having a stroke by 22 to 40%. However too much potassium can cause stomach pain, muscle weakness and in rare cases, dangerous heart events.
8. Water
Many heart risk factors are made worse by dehydration. In a 2002 study it was found that if you drank five or more glasses of water a day you had lower risk of a fatal heart event than if you drunk two or fewer glasses a day.
9. Alcohol.
One or two glasses of alcohol a day will help protect your heart. However heavy drinking will harm your heart.
The DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension)
The DASH diet is a diet that is clinically proven to significantly reduce blood pressure. It emphasizes whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products. It recommends:
- Avoiding saturated fat and choosing monounsaturated oils such as olive or canola.
- Choosing whole grains over white flour or pasta.
- Eat fresh fruits and vegetables every day.
- Eat nuts, seeds, or legumes daily.
- Eat modest amounts of protein, preferably from fish, poultry or soy products.
To get the DASH diet click here or point your web browser to :
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/new_dash.pdf
You can also find information on lowering your blood pressure here or by pointing your web browser to:
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/hbp_low/hbp_low.pdf
Kevin Davies is webmaster of preventingheartfailure.com and author of "Preventing Heart Failure" eBook. In this eBook you'll learn how to significantly reduce your risk of heart disease. To buy "Preventing Heart Failure" please visit preventingheartfailure.com
on demand house cleaning Winnetka ..Aging occurs when the body's cells die at faster rates... Read More
Evidence suggesting that alcohol is "cardio-protective" first appeared in the... Read More
Apple cider vinegar is a product of apple juice fermentation.... Read More
Green tea has been used as for medical remedies in... Read More
First some terminology.Fructose ... a five carbon sugar that occurs... Read More
Eating right to suit your blood type" is a subject... Read More
East Meets WestAsian cultures have realized the medical benefits of... Read More
Having a personal wellness program has become a concern for... Read More
Water is the most abundant substance in the human body.... Read More
I read a lot about the topics of health and... Read More
When I hear the word fat I usually think of... Read More
You may have noticed an ever-expanding choice of oils at... Read More
The acai (ah-sigh-ee) berry has been around for thousands of... Read More
Ionized minerals, colloidal minerals, chelated minerals . . . What... Read More
In this newsletter we will discuss the current controversy about... Read More
In a new study published by the American Heart Association,... Read More
Most people understand that it is wise to limit the... Read More
Bright white teeth and fresh breath does not necessarily... Read More
Better sleep = better metabolism. I have been saying it... Read More
The word 'homeostasis' is made up of two Greek words:... Read More
I'm sure by now you've heard all about the amazing... Read More
Here's food for thought! Did you know the average restaurant... Read More
(Part 1 of a Special 5 Part Series on Body... Read More
At any grocery store in North America right now, there... Read More
Dieters who dejectedly complain they are figuratively "stuck" with their... Read More
house cleaning near Wilmette ..For some people it is really hard to give up... Read More
Glucosamine is readily produced in the human body and is... Read More
I know that the headline is a oldie, but it... Read More
Having a personal wellness program has become a concern for... Read More
Looking into statistics, we can see the average American consumes... Read More
When it comes to the topic of sports nutrition there... Read More
The most dreaded word in many dieter's vocabulary is 'fat'.... Read More
What are Glyconutrients? Glyconutrients are eight newly discovered biologically-active sugars... Read More
A flood of scientific evidence about fish oil points to... Read More
Chances are you may have had a food product that... Read More
I spent a few days at a resort in Mexico... Read More
The word cholesterol has become synonymous with poor health. Indeed,... Read More
The nutritional support in critically ill patients can be explained... Read More
The problem with sugar is that it doesn't contain any... Read More
THE RISKWhen you consume food that's high in acid or... Read More
With so much 'diet advice' around today it is little... Read More
First of all you have to have a bucket. You... Read More
Here is a continuation of the light and darkness metaphor:... Read More
Hi Readers,My message today is simple short and perhaps blunt... Read More
Detoxifying the body has become an apparent key preventative measure... Read More
I read a lot about the topics of health and... Read More
I'm 40-something years old, and for 40-something years breakfast has... Read More
Diet nutrition physiqueToday, learning about diet nutrition physique isn't all... Read More
The sugar industry and the food manufacturers are capitalizing BIG... Read More
I confess: I'm completely addicted to Pringles. My determination weakens... Read More
Nutrition |