Planning A Cardiac Diet Isn't Difficult
Whether you've recently suffered from a heart problem, or are simply trying to avoid one, following a good cardiac diet will go a long ways towards keeping you healthy and fit. It really isn't all that complicated either. For every food item you should avoid, there are plenty of good choices to take its place. Avoiding certain foods doesn't mean you can never enjoy them again, or that your arteries are going to clog up the minute you bite into a hot dog, a piece of bacon, or a chocolate covered doughnut. Make items such as those occasional treats, rare treats being even better. With many less than healthy food choices, “out of sight, out of mind” seems to hold true. A doughnut a month is better than one or two a day, and if you switch to one a month, chances are that after a few months you'll seldom be eating them at all, nor will you be craving them.
Less Salt Is Better - One of the first things to do in designing a healthy cardiac diet is to cut way back on the salt. We've gotten in the habit of putting salt on too many of the foods we eat, most of which will taste perfectly fine unsalted, or with a salt substitute. About a teaspoon of salt per day is about the maximum one should have, and less is even better. Besides using the salt shaker less often, when shopping for groceries look for low sodium alternatives. Soup is a good example here. Many kinds of canned soups are rich in sodium. In fact the same can be said for many processed foods. One doesn't have to eliminate processed foods from the diet completely, but foods heavy in sodium really have no place in a cardiac diet.
A heart-healthy diet emphasizes balance and moderation. Instead of having a steak that covers the plate for dinner, have a steak one-third the size, and use the extra space on the plate for fresh vegetables instead. Moderation and balance does allow for the occasional chocolate covered doughnut, or a serving of French fries. Just emphasize occasional.
Choose Processed Foods With Care - What should you eat and what shouldn't you eat? Whole grain breads, cereals, and pasta are good choices as is brown rice. Processed foods such as frozen biscuits, waffles, or rolls, are best avoided or eaten sparingly. Besides avoiding excessive amounts of sodium, fats, or cholesterol, whole grain breads and cereals are much more nutritious and are good not only for the heart but for the rest of the body as well.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are great for a cardiac diet, and for most any other diet for that matter. Even frozen and canned fruits and vegetables are usually quite acceptable. Be a little careful though when it comes to frozen dinners. While many are healthy enough, some contain an excess of creamy sauces, which tend to be rich in sodium and cholesterol, and may contain saturated fats or trans-fats which are to be avoided. Also bear in mind that a health-giving vegetable, once deep fried, or fried in grease, is no longer heart-healthy.
Protein Is No Problem - There's plenty of ways to get sufficient protein in a cardiac diet. Just stick to low-fat or skim milk, and low-fat yogurt or cheese. Stick to lean cuts of meat, fish, and poultry (not deep fried of course). Processed meats generally do not belong in a cardiac diet. Still, an occasional bit of sausage won't hurt. Just don't make sausage, bacon, or fatty meats a regular part of your diet.
It's not all that difficult to plan a good cardiac diet, whether it be for the next meal or for the long term. Reduce or eliminate those items which include an excess of salt, cholesterol, or saturated fats. Think lean and think healthy. That's all there's to it.