Heart Healthy Eating

February is Heart Health Month! How are you keeping your heart healthy? These tips below will help you adopt a heart healthy eating pattern, so you can protect your health and prevent chronic illness such as chronic kidney disease.

Choose lean meats and skinless poultry

The skin and fat in our meats and on oultry contain saturated fat, which in excess can increase your cholesterol and triglyceride levels. This can lead to cardiovascular health issues and affect your blood pressure.

Choose fiber-rich foods

Fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains contain fiber, an important nutrient to protect not only your digestive health, but also your heart health. An eating pattern rich in fiber has been shown to play in role in reducing the risk of cardiovascular problems such as coronary artery disease.

Choose fish twice per week

Fish contain omega-3 fatty acids, a monounsaturated fat that can help lower your total cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Fish is also a great source of protein, so win-win!

Limit fried food intakes

I know - fried foods taste so good. But that’s because of all the fat and breading. These contain saturated fats as well. Try lightly breading and baking for a “fried” effect, or you may be interested in investing in an air fryer to help cut down on your fat and oil use.

Limit or eliminate alcohol consumption

This one can certainly be tricky, especially with a lot of social events we attend having all the selections of alcohol for us to choose from. But alcohol consumption is calorie consumption and is also dehydrating. Drinking too much alcohol can also raise your blood pressure. The American Heart Association recommends limiting to 2 drinks per day for men, and 1 drink per day for women.

Decrease saturated fat intakes

Saturated fats are fats that are solid at room temperature. This would be things like butter, lard, and yes, even coconut oil. Excess intakes of these fats are linked to higher cholesterol levels and heart disease risk. Choosing more healthy fats from monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are better for a heart healthy eating pattern. Consuming more healthy fats promotes heart health and reduces inflammation; you can find these in things like nuts and seeds, fish, avocados, and olive oil.