Be kind to your heart
Wilma Malone, Special to The Gazette
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Heart disease is the No. 1 killer in the United States. If you have high cholesterol you have twice the risk of getting heart disease. Here are some tips to lower your risk.
1 Shop the perimeter of the grocery store.
Grocery stores are designed to place the produce, dairy and bakeries around the edges. So, you find fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, breads and dairy products along the perimeter. The inner aisles, meanwhile, can be very tempting with lots of opportunity for snack choices and processed foods.
Fruits and vegetables provide fiber to make you feel fuller and lower blood cholesterol. When you’re shopping for fruits and vegetables:
• Pick lots of color with vegetables and fruit.
• Choose five or more servings daily. A serving equals 1/2 cup.
• Choose fresh, frozen or unsalted canned vegetables.
2 Eat a variety of whole grain products and dried beans, which provide soluble fiber to help lower cholesterol.
• Make sure to include oats and barley in your diet.
• To add more beans, try pinto, navy, lima, black or kidney beans in soups and salads. Or try recipes for main and side dishes that use these beans.
• Avoid croissants, biscuits, doughnuts and sweet rolls because they are higher in fat, which offsets the health benefits from the grains.
3 Include lowfat or fat-free dairy products.
• Look for skim, one-half or 1 percent milk, light yogurt and reduced fat cheese to help control fat intake.
• Choose frozen yogurt and sherbet instead of ice cream.
• Choose light or fat-free sour cream.
4 Choose approximately 6 ounces lean protein per day.
• Look for “round” or “loin” cuts for both beef and pork.
• Before cooking poultry like chicken and turkey, remove the skin.
• Consider how you cook the meat. Baking, broiling, grilling, steaming and stir-frying are healthier than frying in oil or lard.
• Avoid sausage, bacon and high-fat luncheon meats like bologna, pepperoni and hotdogs.
• A serving size of meat is approximately the size of a deck of cards. A typical cut of beef steak can yield at least two servings, if not three.
• Choose seafood two or three times per week. Include salmon, mackerel, tuna or herring to provide omega 3-fatty acids
5 Choose oils over solid fats.
• Choose canola or olive oil in cooking.
• Avoid “partially hydrogenated fat” on labels.
• Avoid “trans fat.”
• Look for “natural” peanut butter instead of the hydrogenated type.
• Keep saturated fat to a minimum.
6 Include nuts and seeds.
• Choose natural or unsalted nuts.
• Pecans, almonds, walnuts and Brazil nuts are excellent choices.
• Nuts are naturally high in “healthy” fats. A serving is approximately 1/2 cup.
• Eating too much can be detrimental to your waistline if trying to lose weight.
7 Limit sodium intake.
• Avoid adding salt at the table.
• 1 teaspoon salt contains approximately 2,300 mg sodium.
• Use more herbs and spices for seasoning in cooking.
• Limit the use of canned soups, processed foods and fast food.
8 Choose dark chocolate over milk chocolate. Limit yourself to 1 ounce per day.
9 Limit alcohol to 4 ounces of red wine per day. A healthy alternative may be 1 cup of purple grape juice.
10 Don’t forget exercise. Try to include 30 minutes per day. Walking, biking, swimming, jogging and dancing are just a few possibilities.