Smart Food Choices: Part of any Heart Healthy Diet

The heart pumps blood to provide oxygen and nutrition to the body through our arteries. Heart attacks are caused by hardening of plaque in arteries, which is formed from deposition of fat, cholesterol and proteins in the inner walls of arteries. Plaque starts innocuously but gradually get bigger. Plaque may narrow the arteries and the thin covering of plaque may completely block it to cause a stroke or a heart attack. Heart problems can cause restlessness to a person. Cardiovascular diseases are a prime killer as compared to any other condition. In the U.S., every 20 seconds, a person suffers from a heart attack. It has been found that under-educated people suffer more from heart attack and men are at a risk ten years earlier as compared to women. One of the leading accelerators of heart problems is smoking and men who are suffering from depression should be extra cautious as well.

Lifestyle plays an important role as the people who have a sedentary lifestyle are at double the risk as compared to people who exercise every day. People who are obese, people who have high blood pressure, people who suffer from diabetes, people with a high level of triglycerides, and people with a high cholesterol level in the blood are at a higher risk of a heart attack .To prevent heart problems, you should avoid excess refined carbohydrates, sugars, and fried foods. Hot dogs, bacon, and sausages should also be avoided. Unprocessed beef or pork does not directly raise the risk but the salt and chemicals used for preserving food can cause health problems. Walnuts and almonds have been found effective in treating heart problems. In this light, nuts should be added in food and a variety of food should be taken. For more useful tips and advices for making a heart healthy diet work for you, please check out these links.

Heart Healthy Diet

• Heart Healthy Diet: The page provides guidelines for heart healthy diet with personal eating plan.
• Heart Healthy Eating: The National Women’s Health Information Center provides information on what to eat, what not to eat, eating plans, and more.
• Nutrition Basics: The University of Maryland, Medical Center provides information on the basics of nutrition.
• Guidelines & Goals: The page offers guidelines, goals and general recommendations of heart healthy diets.
• Heart Healthy Food Pyramid: Check the food pyramid to formulate your heart healthy diet.
• Nutrition Center: The resource center by the American Heart Association covers healthy diet goals, healthy cooking, dining out, recipes, and more.

Heart Healthy Shopping Tips

• Grocery Shopping Tips: The National Heart Lung Blood Institute provides essential tips for heart healthy shopping.
• Shopping Smart: The page offers a number of steps to help you shop smartly in the supermarket.
• Approved Foods: The full list of foods approved by the American Heart Association.
• The Heart Healthy Shopper: The page provides tips on stocking a heart healthy kitchen, navigating the supermarket, and understanding food labels.
• Food Labels: The FDA offers some information on reading food labels for a healthy heart.
• Heart Healthy Shopping Guide: The page provides tips and tricks for finding healthy foods.

Heart Healthy Cooking Tips

• Heart Healthy Cooking: Follow these tips to ensure that you cook right.
• Cooking Tips: The American Diabetic Association provides essential heart healthy cooking tips.
• More Cooking Tips: Take a look at the top ten heart healthy cooking tips.
• Cooking Oils: Come here to learn all about oils for heart healthy cooking.
• Recipe Modifications: The page provides suggestions for substitutions on ingredients.
• Spice & Herbs: The University of Nebraska, Lincoln provides information on spices and herbs to be used as substitutions for heart healthy cooking.

Heart Healthy Recipes

• Keep the Beat: The NHLBI offers some heart healthy recipes.
• Heart Healthy Recipes: Come here to find AHA-approved recipes.
• More Recipes: The University of Wisconsin Health Center provides many heart healthy recipes.
• British Recipes: Come here to get heart healthy recipes from the British Heart Foundation.
• Louisiana Recipes: The place to find Louisiana heart healthy recipes.
• Australian Recipes: The place to find Australian heart healthy recipes.

Maintaining a Heart Healthy Diet When Out

• Eating Out: The Alberta Health Services provide essential tips for keeping a heart healthy diet.
• Dining Out: The page provides tips on dining out, including reading the menu.
• Heart Healthy Menu Selections: Learn how to make the smart choices when dining out.
• Dining Guide: The City of Denton provides some tips for people who want to maintain a heart healthy diet when dining out.
• Nuts: Heart health smart snacking begins with nuts!