Heart Diet

The most important thing you can do to protect your heart health--and probably prolong both your life and your quality of life--is to eat a healthy heart diet.

Heart attacks kill more men and women in the United States each year than any other single cause. Most heart attacks, which are caused by progressive coronary artery disease (usually known simply as heart disease) can be prevented through a combination of a smart heart diet and an intelligent exercise program.

This article provides information on a heart diet.

Which Foods Make a Healthy Heart Diet? 

If you're concerned about heart health, the first thing to do is to talk to your doctor about what to eat and how to exercise. He or she will tell you the following about the food you eat.

Low density lipoprotein cholesterol is your heart's enemy. This is also known as LDL or "bad" cholesterol. This type of cholesterol sticks to your arteries and eventually blocks the amount of blood, and therefore the amount of oxygen, that flows to your organs, muscles and tissues.

To keep your LDL levels low and heathy, follow these recommendations:

Keep your total fat intake should be less than 30 percent of total daily calories.

Saturated fatty acid intake should be less than 10 percent. Saturated fatty acid foods promote the formation of LDL cholesterol. The most common foods containing saturated fatty acids are generally animal based, especially beef, chicken and pork products.

Polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats may sound dangerous, but are more healthy for you than the saturated variety. These are mostly found in plant products. Polyunsaturated fat foods include soybean, sunflower, fish and corn oils. Examples of monounsaturated fat foods are olive, peanut, and canola oils. Both polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids help keep LDL cholesterol in a lower, healthier range.

Generally speaking, cholesterol intake should not exceed 300 milligrams per day.

Salt, or sodium, is another danger to the heart. Sodium intake should be kept under 3000 milligrams per day.

Beware of chemicals in your food like caffeine, MSG, and other food additives make a difference. Stay away from the trans fats and hydrogenated oils that are common processed and refined foods. These are chemically altered, and research shows the body doesn't process them as effectively as the healthier types mentioned above. Trans fats are found in margarine and spreads, and in fried foods (especially fried foods from fast food restaurants).
 
Sugar from cakes, candy bars, and similar snacks eventually become fat in the body.

Finally, it's a good idea to watch your intake of carbohydrates like pasta, potatoes and bread (especially the refined, processed varieties). Excess carbohydrates stimulate the production of unhealthy fats which build up in the body, raising cholesterol levels and increasing the chance of heart disease.