7 Steps to Prevent Heart Disease

Making changes in the diet pattern can be a daunting task and requires lot of discipline and correct know-how. Some suggestions are as under:

1) Reduce intake of cholesterol and fats

If you can decrease your intake of saturated fats and Trans fats that are often found in butter or margarine, you reduce the possibility of plaque build up in the arteries. This keeps the arteries free of deposits and enables free flow of blood. One way is to choose cooking oil like canola or olive oil which contains monounsaturated fat. Consumption of nuts and seeds that are high in polyunsaturated fat is the best option.

Snacks often contain high levels of Trans fat and the label mentions “partially hydrogenated”, which needs to be avoided. Same is the case with baked items like cookies and have to be consumed in moderation.

2) Opt for Low Fat Protein

Instead of red meat, which is high fat protein, you need to go for lean meat, poultry, fish and low fat diary items. Some fish types contain omega - 3 fatty acids which helps in decreasing the triglycerides in the blood. You can also opt for walnuts, flaxseeds which are high in omega-3 content.

Meat substitutes like legumes and lentils which are also high protein do not contain fat or cholesterol and are the best substitutes.

3) Consume more vegetables and fruits

Fruits and vegetables are high in fiber content and their consumption ensures that you eat less of meat and other snacks. Feasting on carrots, broccoli along with apples, peaches is the healthy way to snack. If you want to go for canned ones, make sure that you do not add toppings of butter or other high fat dressings.

4) Choose whole grains

Whole grains contain a lot of minerals and vitamins like phosphorus, riboflavin, zinc, iron and magnesium. You could substitute white bread with the ones made from whole grain. Opting for brown rice instead of white, taking cereals like oats, bran flakes and mixing ground flaxseeds into the yoghurt are very good dietary changes that you can follow to your benefit.

5) Decrease salt

Salt along with sugar have been identified as white poisons. Besides the salt that we consume in our daily food, we tend to eat processed food and snacks which have lot of salt. Sodium substitutes or low sodium sauces and dressings also need to be consumed in moderation. Preparing your own soup fresh decreases the salt content that you would consume.

6) Implement moderation

Eating out is fun, but the problem is that the servings at hotels is often much more and you tend to consume more. Inadvertently, you end up consuming more calories leading to high cholesterol and fat. The other trick is to ensure equal distribution of meat, poultry, vegetables and fruits so that you do not end up eating too much of the wrong food.

7) Be innovative; prepare daily menus

You need to keep the above tips in mind while making the daily menu so that the right balance is achieved. Making a different meal every day lends variety and reduces boredom and at the same time does not compromise on the nutrients.