Tips For Heart-Healthy Eating

As a young nutrition professional, I worked for a time in a hospital cardiac unit. Many of my patients there were "frequent flyers" whom I had seen multiple times.

Since the lifestyle changes required to improve a person's heart health seemed so simple to me, I often wondered why my patients didn't just make those few changes and keep themselves out of the hospital.
Thankfully, I have grown older and wiser as a nutritionist.

I now realize that changes that seem simple to one person can seem anything but for another. I understand how entrenched we become in food traditions and how many social and cultural customs and routines revolve around a familiar meal or flavor.

Removing salt from your diet sounds simple; in reality, however, the absence of salt may change everything familiar and even comforting about a family recipe.

Yet, we have to face the facts: Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, and so it's imperative that we make some dietary and lifestyle changes. The ways we change, however, may be the key.

The worst approach is trying to make all the recommended changes overnight. Rather, the slow and steady approach - making small, incremental improvements - will serve you best.

Here are my tips to help you move more easily toward a heart-healthy diet:

• Decrease the amount of calories you're eating until you're consuming fewer than you burn. Extra weight makes your heart work harder and causes extra stress.

• Increase your consumption of fruits and vegetables to 5 servings per day. Fruits and vegetables are high in vitamins, minerals, and fiber, and are low in calories.

• Consume high-fiber foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain cereals, and dried beans. They'll make you feel fuller sooner and help lower your cholesterol.

• Eat fish rich in healthy omega-3 fatty acids like salmon, trout, herring, and canned tuna. (Shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish-also known as golden bass or golden snapper-have the highest mercury levels and should be avoided by women and young children.) Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to lower triglycerides and increase HDL (so-called "good") cholesterol.

• Avoid the saturated and trans fats typically found in fried foods, animal products, and many snack foods. These foods contain partially hydrogenated fats that increase your risk of heart disease.

• Limit the sodium in your diet by adding less salt, both when cooking and at the table, and by limiting packaged frozen foods, cured meats, and high-sodium condiments like soy sauce and salad dressings.