Cardio Health: Eating Healthily

It is commonly said that you are what you eat. This statement applies especially towards keeping our hearts healthy. You can cut your risk of heart disease by increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables.

The Journal of Nutrition reported in the October issue that each vegetable or fruit serving that is added to your daily diet can cut your risk of heart disease by as much as 7%.

To achieve the maximum benefits from vegetables and fruits as part of a healthy eating plan - follow these simple guidelines:

1) Vary the types of fruits you eat. It does not matter if the fruits are fresh, frozen, canned, or dried. An individual who consumes 2,000 calories a day should aim to eat approximately 2 cups of fruit a day. That is roughly 3-4 servings of fruits daily.

2) Eat a variety of vegetables. Think color when choosing vegetables, dark greens, and orange vegetables have the most nutrients. Try a variety of dark green vegetables, carrots, and other vegetables. The darker coloured vegetables tend to have more nutritional value.

3) Drink 3 cups of low fat or fat free milk per day. You can substitute with low fat yogurt or low fat cheese (1½ ounces of cheese equals 1 cup of milk).

4) Choose high Fiber multigrain breads rather than white breads. Eat at least 3 ounces of whole-grain cereals, breads, crackers, rice, or pasta every day. One ounce is about 1 slice of bread, 1 cup of breakfast cereal, or ½ cup of cooked rice or pasta.

5) Protein is important to your overall health. Protein builds muscle. More muscle content increases your metabolism. Aim for one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. Choose lean meats and poultry. Bake it, broil or grill it.

6) Drink 6-8 glasses of water per day to keep the body hydrated

7) Reduce sodium, fats and trans fats in your diet. Read the Nutrition Facts label on foods. Choose and prepare foods and beverages with little salt or added sugar.

Always take care with what you eat and your heart will love you more than ever.