21 Steps

to a Healthy Heart

Jun. 27, 2008 at 10:59am

These 21 steps can help you on your way to achieving a healthy heart


#1 Feel Your Oats Foods high in soluble fiber - oatmeal, beans, fresh fruits, broccoli - form a gel that not only interferes with cholesterol absorption but actually helps excrete it naturally, lowering total and LDL cholesterol levels.

#2 Watch Out for Trans Fat One study showed that women who consume lots of trans fats had a 66% higher risk of heart disease.

#3 Don't Pass on the Sweet Potatoes Brimming with beta-carotene, fiber, folate, and vitamins E and C, the sweet potato is rated #1 healthiest
vegetable.

#4 Morning Math Choose whole-grain cereals that contain at least 3 grams of fi ber per serving.

#5 Nothing Fishy About It Eat fish at least twice a week, Omega-3 fatty acids, found abundantly in salmon, mackerel, and other oily fishes, have
been shown to lower cholesterol and reduce triglycerides, help prevent blood clots, and contribute to the body's production of anti-inflammatories.

#6 Drink Your Health Studies show that moderate consumption of coffee, black tea, and alcohol can reduce heart attack risk.

#7 Embrace Your Inner "Dressing on the Side" Two tablespoons of
commercial salad dressing can have as many calories as a chocolate bar, as much fat as two slices of pizza, as much sodium as a handful of taco chips.

#8 Go Halfsies The easiest way to eat a balanced meal: fill one half of your plate with vegetables, the other half with equal amounts of carbs and high-protein food.

#9 Go Nuts One serving a day (about the size of a shot glass) of walnuts or almonds can reduce harmful LDL-cholesterol.

#10 Picture It A healthy serving size of meat = a deck of cards. Cheese = four dice. Peanut Butter = a golf ball. Bagel = hockey puck. Pasta or rice = cupcake liner.

#11 Cheap Date Instead of splurging on premium ice cream, buy the inexpensive stuff and cut the fat in half. Better yet, save 25 grams of fat per cup with light ice cream.

#12 Don't Razz the Berries Blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries are antioxidant and fiber-rich gems.
 
#13 Feel Your Oats Two ounces of enriched dried spaghetti or any other macaroni provides riboflavin, iron, niacin, thiamin, and 10% of the US RDA for protein - all for less than a gram of fat and 200 calories.

#14 Where's the (Lean) Beef? Cuts of beef lowest in fat include top round, eye of round, round tip, top sirloin, top loin, and tenderloin.

#15 Powered by Water German researchers discovered that drinking water boosts metabolism rates; they calculate that consuming eight glasses a day will burn off 35,000 calories a year - about ten pounds.

#16 Be a Weekend Warrior Or at least a vigilante: The average American consumes an extra 230 calories on weekends, leading to a five-pound weight
gain by year's end.

#17 OJ is OK! Orange Juice is a delicious way to get cardio-protective nutrients such as vitamin C, folate, and potassium.

#18 Dark is Beautiful Chocolate, that is, which some studies have shown to promote cardiac health. But only in moderation.

#19 Forget South Beach, Try Okinawa Scientists believe a key reason
Okinawans hold the record for average longevity is leaving the dinner table when they’re hara hara bu - "eight parts out of ten full."

#20 Beans, Beans They’re Good for Your Heart People who eat
legumes four times a week lower their risk of heart disease by 21% compared to people who eat them less than once a week.

#21 Go to Recipes page or download the "21 Steps to a Healthy Heart" 11x17 poster

Posted in Tips by Joe

Comments (1)

Great tips! Thanks Joe...I will post the poster on my fridge to help me remember these tips to healthier eating!
Karen
1 | Left by Karen Halterman | Jul. 20, 2010 at 2:26pm

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