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To reduce risk of
heart attack, eat healthy and low
fat diet. Develop a pattern of
eating that will stomach without
damaging your heart, but sometimes
its hard to figure out which food is
good for us.
Try to cut back on foods that are
high in saturated fat, total fat,
and cholesterol. If you have a
family history of high cholesterol
or you have a diagnosed high blood
cholesterol level, you should take a
more vigorous approach to your diet.
Food with High Fats &
Cholesterol: Saturated fat
increases your blood cholesterol
level more than anything else in
your diet; Most of the saturated fat
you eat probably comes from animal
products.
Dairy products made from whole milk
-- including butter, cheese, milk,
cream, and ice cream -- and the fat
in meat and poultry skin contain
very high amounts of saturated fat.
There are also some vegetables
that are high in saturated fats,
including coconut oil, cocoa butter,
palm kernel oil, and palm oil.
What to Eat:
Instead of meats like sausage,
bacon, and processed high-fat cold
cuts, eat fish, poultry, and leaner
cuts of meat, but be sure to remove
the fat and skin before eating. It's
ok to eat up to six ounces of these
daily. You should also cut down on
organ meats, such as liver, kidney,
and brains. Replace butter with
margarine (the softer the less
saturated fat) or vegetable oil.
Drink skim or one percent milk
instead of whole milk and eat nonfat
or low-fat cheese and yogurt.
Substituting egg whites, which are
cholesterol and fat free, for whole
eggs or egg yolks will also help
improve your heart health.
The way you prepare your food also
affects its nutritional value. It's
better to boil, bake, roast, or
poach your foods than to fry them.
Vegetable oils are great to use
instead of butter for sautéing
vegetables.
You should try to eat six to 11
servings daily of breads, three to
five daily servings of vegetables;
two to four daily fruits servings;
cereals, rice, and pasta; two to
three servings daily of milk,
yogurt, and cheese; and two to three
servings daily of meat, poultry,
fish, dry beans and peas, eggs,
nuts, and seeds. Your diet should
focus on fruits, vegetables, and
whole grains cereals, breads, rice,
and pasta. With a little effort, you
can start cooking up healthy and
delicious meals in no time. |
