Eating a Balanced Diet Supports Your Heart Health
2/23/2022
New American Heart Association Dietary Guidelines
MILTON, Fla., - The new updated dietary guidelines from the American Heart Association (AHA) focus more on your overall eating habits rather than a list of no-no’s. Taking in sufficient nutrients will support your heart health and general well-being over your lifetime. Research on dietary patterns has found 14% to 28% lower cardiovascular disease mortality among U.S. adults with high compared with low adherence to high-quality dietary patterns.
A balanced diet with whole, unprocessed foods brings the most benefit – fruits and vegetables, fish and seafood, low or nonfat dairy, nuts and seeds, lean meat and poultry. Minimize your amount of salt and added sugars, especially those frequently found in processed foods. Too much salt can increase blood pressure and too much sugar can lead to excess weight.
Paul Alappat, M.D., FACC, a cardiologist with Santa Rosa Medical Group, appreciates the message of balance in the new AHA guidelines.
“Maintaining a healthy weight through a balanced diet and healthy exercise has a big impact on your heart health,” explained Dr. Alappat. “Indulging in a dessert or packaged food is fine on occasion, it’s important to make these only an occasional, small part of what you eat overall.”
Beginning with our mother’s diet before we’re born, the food and drinks we take in from infancy through adulthood build an impact on our health over time. Helping your child develop healthy eating habits early gives them a strong foundation. Prevention of pediatric obesity is key to preserving and prolonging ideal cardiovascular health.
Focus on making every calorie you take in bring value. Adjust how much you consume based on your level of activity, reduce portions and calories if you are less active.
Simple changes can add up. Eat a piece of fresh fruit rather than drinking packaged, processed juice with added sugars. Buy bread or pasta made with whole grains rather than refined grains. If you regularly eat pasta, eat a smaller amount and add another vegetable to your plate. When you eat crackers, choose low-salt versions made from nuts, rice or whole grains.
“Poor diet quality can increase your chances for cardiovascular disease and overall health,” shared Alappat. “Make it a habit to take in nutritious food at every meal, whether at home or dining out.”
What is your heart telling you? Our free, five minute cardiovascular health assessment can help you determine if you’re at risk for heart disease. Take the assessment today - and then discuss the results with your doctor.
To find a physician or learn more about healthy choices, visit SantaRosaMedicalGroup.com.
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Source:
Lichtenstein AH, Appel LJ, Vadiveloo M, Hu FB, Kris-Etherton PM, Rebholz CM, Sacks FM, Thorndike AN, Van Horn L, Wylie-Rosett J; on behalf of the American Heart Association Council on Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health; Council on Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology; Council on Cardiovascular Radiology and Intervention; Council on Clinical Cardiology; and Stroke Council. 2021 Dietary guidance to improve cardiovascular health: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2021;144:e472–e487. doi: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000001031
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