February is National Heart Health Month. Are you loving your heart?
Love your heart by eating heart-healthy. The American Heart Association recommends eating healthy by including in your diet fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, skinless poultry, and fish. Also, legumes (dried beans and peas), non-tropical vegetable oils (coconut oil or palm oil - that's right!), nuts and seeds. Limit intake of sodium, sweets, sugar-sweetened beverages and red meats.
Heart Health Tips:
1. Limit Saturated (fatty meat, poultry skin, bacon, sausage, whole milk, cream, and butter)
2. Limit Trans-fat (stick margarine, shortening, some fried foods, and packaged foods made with hydrogenated oils.
3. Limit cholesterol intake to less than 200mg daily (1 egg yolk has 212 mg!)
The Good Stuff!
1. Eat more omega-3 fats (heart-healthy fats): Salmon, tuna, mackerel, and sardines.
Walnuts, canola, soybean oils, flaxseeds, and chia seeds.
2. Get 20 g to 30 g of dietary fiber per day
3. Eat more plant-based using beans and soy
foods for protein (Meatless Monday Anyone?)
4. Eat at least 5 or more cups of fruits and vegetables each day
Bottom line: Even a small change in your diet or weight can reduce your risk of heart disease
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