Heart Health

heart healthy diets

Read and learn more about heart healthy diets. For more, visit the MyHeartyHeath.com website.

Q: Know any heart healthy diets to lower blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure?
My dad needs to follow a diet that will be more heart healthy. He has very high blood pressure, high cholesterol(around 200), and high blood sugar and almost has diabetes. All of this is making it hard to know what he can eat. Anyone have any tips? Thanks!

A: a high fiber diet will lower both the total cholesterol and reduce serum insulin levels. he needs to eat things like whole oatmeal, lentils, barley, beans, etc..these types of foods are very high fiber and low calorie. 30 grams of fiber daily is recommended. it’s very hard to get so i would tell him to try to get as much from food and use fiber supplements for the rest.

to reduce the blood pressure reducing the salt intake will do this. cooking from scratch virtually eliminates salt from the diet, processed food items are loaded with it.

if he’s not big on cooking he’s going to have to learn. get him some basic cookbooks. there are a lot of high fiber soups that are very easy to make.

Q: Concerned about my heart, what is a heart healthy diet?
I am 21 years, very overweight, (5ft3 and over 200 pounds) and constantly stressing about having a heart attack. The reasons why are because, I basically eat fast food every day, my grandfather died of a heart attack at age 36, and I have various heart attack symptoms somewhat often, but have been told its anxiety/costochondritis.

ANYWAY.

I would like some advice on what foods I could buy to help benefit my heart and blood pressure specifically. Any help?

A: For a healthy heart, you need to be careful with the stuff you eat. Heart is the main organ that keeps us alive. I know a simple diet that will keep you and your heart healthy. A healthy daily diet should be a balance of carbohydrate, protein, vitamins, fibre and minerals. So, to maintain this balance you should:

Eat breakfast serials in the morning. Breakfast serials are a good way of providing carbohydrate and protein for the body. Most of the breakfast serials also have a special balance of fibre. It is combined with wholegrain rice and wheat flakes which also make it easy to digest. Therefore, you should eat cornflakes every morning in order to regulate your digestion, get energy in the morning for the day, and reduce the amount of fat. Eat your breakfast with semi-skimmed milk because semi-skimmed milk has had all the fat removed and retains less than half of the fat of whole milk. Milk is full of protein which also helps body to build and repair body tissues such as bone, build antibodies for body to fight infection when needed. You can add strawberry, banana or apple pieces in it if you like. It will make delicious.

For lunch, try to eat something simple, such as salad or pasta with mayonnaise, or sandwich. These foods will provide the required amount of nutrients.

For dinner, try to eat chicken or fish. Fish is quite important for heart as it contains omega 3. Add salad and yogurt next to it or some peas or rice. Do not forget, you need to keep your portions as small as possible. You also need to drink loads of water. Don’t forget to cut out salt and sugar. If you love your heart, then don’t use salt at all.

Good luck!

Q: What are some good heart healthy diet friendly yet family friendly recipes?
I would be very thankful for any help you could give me. Thank you!

A: Try MyFridgeFood.com, it gives you recipes using what you already have in your kitchen. And you can sort the results by the nutritional info. Helps with the diet

Q: What are some easy meals for a heart healthy diet?
I have recently came home from the hospital. And need to start watching my diet more closely. Need some suggestions till I get to filling better. All help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

A: Found this website that lists many of the diet plans and have an outline of what the diet is. Many may have a free outline of meals for a week would be. Might start with the American Heart Association guidelines and diet plan to get use to what is out there. Personally, I lost some weight with the Special K program, have cereal for breakfast, a protein bar for lunch and your meal for the night with two small snacks one before lunch and one mid day. I don’t have the two snacks, never that hungry for snacks. I have lost about 10 pounds in 2 months.

Q: is this a heart healthy diet?
im wanting to lose weight but be heart healthy too! im starting a 1800 cal diet, water, low fat n trans fat n sat fat, low sodium and low cholestrol, fruit, veg, chicken, fish, and whole wheat….does this sound heart healthy and help me lose weight? im 5′8 and fat (lol) 28yr old female

A: yes!!! add some oatmeal to your fruit, lots of greens with your fish, chicken or meat (yes, meat!) and don’t forget to exercise!!!
1800kcal is a very good diet, but in order to loose weight you need to spend more than you eat… there’s a certain amount you spend just by being alive, another that you spend by your regular activities and exercising should help you with what’s left. Besides, a simple walk or run of 30min everyday can help you increase the blood flow and make your heart pump harder, keeping it healthy!

Q: Identify the primary factors of a heart healthy diet.?

A: The goals of a heart-healthy diet are to eat foods that help obtain or maintain healthy levels of cholesterol and lipids (fatty molecules) by achieving the following:
Reducing overall cholesterol levels and low-density lipoproteins (LDL), which are harmful to the heart.

Increasing high-density lipoproteins (HDL), which are beneficial for the heart.

Reducing other harmful lipids (fatty molecules), such as triglycerides and lipoprotein(a).

Q: Heart healthy diet?
What is a good heart healthy diet after quadruple bypass surgery? Should you cut out all sugars? Or all salts? He is not near the hospital where it was done and you know how hard it can be to get appointments and how expensive. Any and all advice will be greatly appreciated. Thank you. Chay

A: Cut dwon sugars as much as you can, cut down salts as well. Use olive oil rather than margarine or butter when possible. Steer clear of trans fats. The best fats are called omega-3 acids, they are found in salmon and tuna…hope this bit helps…

Q: Need a heart healthy diet proportion sizes would help?
On a budget of $125. a month so nothing fancy but feed three people thank you

A: Try the American Heart Association website.

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1200010

Q: Finding a Heart Healthy Diet Online or a good Book Source?
I am 40 years old, work out, and try to watch what I eat, but last Monday, I had a heart attack. I found that I have the vascular disease that causes me to have high levels of LDL Cholesteral, which causes me to have plaque built up on my arteries. Apparently I have normal arterial blockage for my age, but a piece of plague broke loose and turned 30% into 90% and a heart attack. Now I am on my way to recovery and on several medications to help with my cholesteral, plague sticking to my arteries, and the normal stuff for a heart patient. I am wanting to know where I go to find diet ideas for a heart healthy diet. I have already began to look at the labels on food and they are confusing. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

A: It can be very confusing. Two recommendations I have:
One, talk to a Dietician or Nutritionist. They can be very helpful with things like this. Your doctor can refer you.
Two, look at cook books in a major bookstore. They have ones regarding cholesterol diets. You can easily call your local Heart and Stoke Foundation and ask for some recipes or books. They should be able to help you.

Q: Can two blockages (90% & 70%) be successfully treated with meds, exercise and a heart-healthy diet?
My mother was recently found to have an 80% blockage in one of her main arteries. Balloon angioplasty was performed and a stent inserted. She also has two blockages on the other side of her heart in veins branching off from an artery (70% and 90%). Because of their location, the heart doc said stenting them would be extremely complicated, delicate and dangerous so he’s recommending meds, a heart-healthy meal plan and exercise as an alternative for now.

My question is: Do you, or anyone you know, have such blockages that were successfully treated with meds, a heart-healthy diet and exercise instead of stents?

Thanks.

A: Nikki, I had two stents implanted about a year ago, one was for 95% blockage and one for 90% blockage. They put me on plavix , blood thinner, and aspirin and after six months or so I had a lower intestinal bleed due to the blood thinner and I lost five units of blood in less than one hour and was rushed to hospital where I was repeatedly told that I was very, very sick. They were wonderful to me and I survived it all after one week in the ICU. I do watch everything I eat and have eliminated saturated fats and hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated foods altogether. My exercise is limited to work around the house but it seems sufficient. This is after stent emplacement rather than instead of. I don’t know how it will all work out long term, but, I have placed my life in Gods hands. I’ll pray for your mom. God bless.

Q: How do I gain weight (because I am underweight) in a healthy way?
I went on a high fat diet and raised my cholesterol level now I am worried about my heart. How can I fix this fast, I am only 29 years old. I need a heart healthy diet plan.

A: eat good healthy food 6 times a day, include some pasta once a day, eet banana,s Eat many protiens. Do not eat junkfood, you gain some fat quikley but you loose it quikley to
Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner and in between eat something to like fruit, pasta, food with proteins
If this really is not working your dokter can give you medical milkshakes to gain weight
succes

Q: I am diabetic and have diastolic heart failure; need a heart healthy diet 1800 carbs 3-4 gms sodium?

A: Eat more fish. Fish is a good source of protein and other nutrients. It also contains omega-3 fatty acids, which may help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Eat more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes. These beautiful and delicious wonders of nature may be one of the most powerful strategies in fighting heart disease.
Choose fat calories wisely. Keep these goals in mind:

Limit total fat grams.

Eat a bare minimum of saturated fats and trans fats (for example, fats found in butter, margarine, salad dressing, fried foods, snack foods, sweets, and desserts).

When you use added fat, use fats high in monounsaturated fats (for example, fats found in olive and peanut oil).

Eat a variety — and just the right amount — of protein foods. Commonly eaten protein foods (meat, dairy products) are among the main culprits in increasing heart disease risk.

Reduce this nutritional risk factor by balancing animal, fish, and vegetable sources of protein.

Limit cholesterol consumption. Dietary cholesterol can raise blood cholesterol levels, especially in high-risk people. Limiting dietary cholesterol has an added bonus: You’ll also cut out saturated fat, as cholesterol and saturated fat are usually found in the same foods. Get energy by eating complex carbohydrates (whole-wheat pasta, sweet potatoes, whole-grain breads) and limit simple carbohydrates (regular soft drinks, sugar, sweets). If you have high cholesterol, these simple carbohydrates exacerbate the condition and may increase your risk for heart disease.

Feed your body regularly. Skipping meals often leads to overeating. Eating five to six mini-meals is the best way to control blood sugars, burn fat calories more efficiently, and regulate cholesterol levels.

Other Heart-Healthy Strategies
Reduce salt intake. This will help you control your blood pressure.

Exercise. The human body was meant to be active. Exercise strengthens the heart muscle, improves blood flow, reduces high blood pressure, raises HDL cholesterol (“good” cholesterol), and helps control blood sugars and body weight.

Hydrate. Water is vital to life. Be sure to stay adequately hydrated.

Enjoy every bite. Your motto should be dietary enhancement, not deprivation. When you enjoy what you eat, you feel more positive about life, which helps you feel better. An added bonus is that you eat less when you eat food you love, and that helps control weight and reduce cholesterol levels.

How Much Is a Serving?
When you’re trying to follow an eating plan that’s good for your heart, it may help to know how much of a certain kind of food is considered a “serving.” The following table offers some examples.

SERVING SIZES

1 cup cooked rice or pasta
2 starch
tennis ball

1 slice bread
1 starch
compact disc case

1 cup raw vegetables or fruit
1 fruit or vegetable
baseball

1/2 cup cooked vegetables or fruit
1 fruit or vegetable
fist

1 ounce cheese
1 high-fat protein
pair of dice

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 fat**
half dollar

3 ounces cooked meat
3 protein
deck of cards or cassette tape

3 ounces tofu
1 protein
deck of cards or cassette tape

** Remember to count fat servings that may be added to food while cooking, such as oil, butter or shortening.

Click these links for more info:
http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/guide/heart-healthy-diet

http://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/guide/heart-healthy-diet

Q: what is the most heart healthy gluten free/Casin free food plan out there?
I’ve been changing my diet back and forth for about 2 years now. sometimes good and sometimes bad. I need to find out a decent mixture of food thats both heart healthy and gluten free. I’ve talked with my doctor about this and he says to read the nutrition labels and look online. I’ve been reading the labels, I know exactly how much cholesterol I’m intaking as well as any number of other things. but I need to know whats actually good for me and my heart.

My sudden interest is due to the fact that I’ve had heart issues in the past and I’ve taken it in stride and always just followed what the doc said. but now I have a kid coming along and I want to actually be able to get myself in shape within the next 8 months and the first step to that is a heart healthy diet. or so I’ve heard.

A: Sadly, the list of “Gluten Free Foods” is about 30 Pages Long. I have been allergic to Gluten for 5 years now, and it is NOT Easy, and NOT Fun. I MISS all that “Real people food”. So I wish you MUCH Luck. Here is the list: http://gfkitchen.server101.com/FoodstoAvoid1.htm
As far as your heart is concerned the best foods to eat are Blueberries, Salmon, Blackberries, Raspberries, Olive Oil, Cod Fish, Flax Seed, Artichokes, Beans, Cabbage, Carrots, Cherries, etc.
The first answer is wrong. I DO Eat cereal, and it is made from “Brown Rice”, or Tapioca. There are Lots of cereals you can eat, and if you can eat dairy you are even luckier, because I have to drink soy milk. As far as the bread is concerned there is also gluten free bread out there. You need to go to a specialty store however.

Q: What is Dr. Alan Sears heart healthy diet?

A: here ya go:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/customer-reviews/0938045652/104-4021811-9663912

[edit]
and here:

http://www.alsearsmd.com/content/

he goes by Al not Alan

Q: heart healthy diet book?
any ideas?

A: South Beach Diet.

It is written by Dr. Agaston who is a pioneer in cardiology and a great guy. I know him personally.
Unfortunately not well enough to share profits from his book!!!

Filed under: Heart Health

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