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
expert residential cleaners Park Ridge ..Monosodium glutamate, commonly known as MSG, was thought of as... Read More
Most digestive disorders develop because of the bodys inability to... Read More
Who suffers from Eating Disorders?Eating Disorder sufferers are male and... Read More
Can we really stop the aging process, slow it down,... Read More
Do you notice your child putting off going to the... Read More
Everyone can benefit from understanding how food affects our... Read More
Do you know the risks to daily intakes of Starbucks... Read More
There are so many topics to discuss which affect our... Read More
During the past thirty years there has been a steadily... Read More
It is a question we must ask ourselves continually if... Read More
Cholesterol is an essential building block of every cell in... Read More
Headlines:Nearly a quarter of American adults just got diagnosed with... Read More
The problem with sugar is that it doesn't contain any... Read More
Meal replacements have been part of the diet landscape for... Read More
Did you know that the food you eat when you... Read More
Food in general has the distinction of being probably the... Read More
We've heard it not only once or twice or even... Read More
I am sure you have heard you have to build... Read More
FOOD (Macro-nutrients)One of the most important aspects of hill walking... Read More
Many of us, probably even you, want this thing called... Read More
Some people say to themselves, junk food is not that... Read More
Cholesterol finds its way into our bodies in two main... Read More
A frequent misunderstanding about macrobiotics is that it is a... Read More
Instead of Butter: Use top quality, cold pressed, extra virgin... Read More
I know you've heard this many times - "Drink more... Read More
green cleaning service Park Ridge ..This is usually the forgotten element of most mass programs.... Read More
Detoxifying the body has become an apparent key preventative measure... Read More
For some people it is really hard to give up... Read More
BASIC MEAL & MENU PLANNINGAs a basis for meals and... Read More
I know you've heard this many times - "Drink more... Read More
Although many realize that the liver has its own cleansing... Read More
Following these simple nutrition guidelines will allow you to lose... Read More
To research the health risks Sweet 'N Low and other... Read More
One must always keep in mind that copper is not... Read More
You've heard that old saying: True beauty comes from within.... Read More
The typical American diet already provides plenty of protein and... Read More
First of all you have to have a bucket. You... Read More
Our bodies are truly incredible machines. What makes cells healthy?... Read More
In health circles there has been much recent talk about... Read More
Several years ago, Marilyn M. couldn't even spell fibromyalgia.Now she... Read More
Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who's the healthiest of them... Read More
Salt is vital for our health. Right now, you have... Read More
The Food Pyramid, first introduced to the US in 1992,... Read More
The word cholesterol has become synonymous with poor health. Indeed,... Read More
The debate regarding Fluoride continues to rage, is it good... Read More
I start from the premise that eating instinctively means eating... Read More
Spring in New York City is a really magical time.... Read More
Some experts consider carbohydrate craving and addiction as something more... Read More
The nutritional support in critically ill patients can be explained... Read More
Most of us are "regular" people. We don't eat the... Read More
Nutrition |