What Are 7 Simple Rules for Eating Heart-Healthy?

When cholesterol builds up in your body, it can form plaques and obstruct the arteries that lead to your heart. However, there is a difference between “bad” and “good” cholesterol:

• Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is bad cholesterol that can undergo peroxidation due to free radical damage and cause plaque formation in the coronary arteries.
• High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is good cholesterol that clearsLDL cholesterolfrom the blood and takes it back to theliverto break down.

Yourdietshould therefore include foods that lower bad cholesterol and increase goodcholesterol levelsin your blood.

High amounts of saturated fat and even a small amount of trans fat in your diet can cause cholesterol to accumulate in your arteries. Both of these types of fat increase yourLDL cholesterol, making you prone to cardiovascular disorders.

饱和脂肪中可以找到的食物,比如黄油, palm, oil, coconut oil, cheese, high-fat dairy, and red meat. Trans fat is found in commercially packaged foods such as pastries, doughnuts, and fried items such as French fries and chicken nuggets.

Over the years, various studies have found that some foods contain healthy fats, known as unsaturated fats. Fat is essential for various biological processes such as the transport ofvitamins, building of cell membranes, blood clotting, and muscle movement. So it’s important to include healthy fats in your diet.

Some good sources of unsaturated fat include:

• Olive oil
• Safflower oil
• Avocados
• Olives
• Walnuts
• Almonds
• Peanut butter (not the ready-to-eat type that contains palm oil but the kind made from only peanuts)
• Pumpkin seeds
• Flaxseed
• Fatty fish (such as salmon and tuna)
• Walnuts
• Soymilk
• Tofu

Here are a few tips to reduce the amount of unhealthy fat from your diet and replace it with healthy fats:

• Use oil instead of butter for frying or cooking.
• Eat fatty fish instead of red meat.
• Opt for poultry without the skin and cut off excess fat.

Sodium can increase yourblood pressurein multiple ways, causing water retention, disrupting hormonal balances, and overworking your kidneys. Damaged arteries due to constanthigh blood pressurecan lead to cholesterol accumulation plaque formation. In turn, this increases your risk ofheart diseaseandheart failure.

The American Heart Association (AHA) advises not to include more than 1,500 milligrams (1.5 grams) in your daily diet. Avoid adding salt to your food or cooking with soy sauce and otherhigh-sodiumproducts. Instead, go for low-sodium foods, including:

• Vegetables such as broccoli and kale
• Fruits such as apples, pears,papaya, and apricots
• Beans
• Grains
• Potatoes
• Plain yogurt

在所有类型的纤维可以帮助预防心脏disease, soluble fiber is especially beneficial. This type of fiber can reduce bothLDL cholesteroland overall cholesterol. It works by binding with cholesterol particles in your gut and flushing them from the body before they are absorbed.

Examples of foods that contain soluble fiber include beans, oats, flaxseed, and oat bran. Studies have also shown thathigh-fiber foodsmay have other health benefits such as reducing blood pressure and inflammation that can lead to heart disease.

Include foods that are rich in calcium, potassium, and magnesium, all of which promote heart health:

• Calcium:Calcium helps the blood vessels tighten (contract) and relax when they need to, which is necessary to keep your blood pressure in a healthy range.
• Potassium:Potassium counteracts the harmful effects of sodium on the kidneys and can help maintain normal blood pressure. Healthy potassium levels also help transmit electrical signals throughout the heart and protect against irregular heartbeats (arrhythmia).
• Magnesium:Magnesium not only helps maintain bone health but is also involved in the regulation of blood pressure and muscle and nerve function.

Antioxidants prevent oxidation. Peroxidation of LDL cholesterol can cause it to stick to the lining of your arteries and lead to the formation of plaque. If this plaque becomes large enough to obstruct the blood flow through the coronary, you can developcoronary artery diseaseand evenheart attack.

Foods that contain antioxidants such asvitamin Cor E work in your body to prevent the oxidation of cholesterol and thus play a role in thepreventionof coronary heart disease:

• Vitamin Ecan lower your risk of falling prey to a heart attack if you have heart disease.
• Vitamin C improves the efficiency of vitamin E in your body. It also improves the working of the artery.

It’s best to get these antioxidants through your diet instead ofsupplements. Before startingsupplements, make sure to discuss it with your doctor first.