Heart Disease

Heart Healthy Foods Can Beat Cardiovascular Disease

Heart disease is rarely caused by genetics. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common condition. CAD is caused by diet and lifestyle choices. A diet high in saturated fat and cholesterol will lead to plaque buildup in the arteries causing them to narrow and restrict blood flow to the heart. Lack of exercise weakens the heart muscle.

Diabetes, hypertension, and obesity are also diet-related and add to the parthenogenesis of heart disease.

Heart Disease Prevention

If you are overweight, suffer from high blood pressure, hypercholesterolemia, or diabetes, you are a candidate for heart disease. A conversation with your doctor can determine if you need further testing. However, all of the aforementioned conditions are caused by an unhealthy diet. The good news is, they are all reversible. Maybe not completely, but you can decrease the intensity and be taken off the medication or remain on a minimal dose. Your nutritionist can help you get the best results from your diet and your doctor can decide what medication dosage is right for you. The less medication, the better for your health in general.

A Heart-Healthy Diet should be part of your treatment against heart disease. The steps outlined below will help you lose weight, lower your glucose and cholesterol, and improve your heart health.

• Make every meal count. The Harvard Healthy Eating Plate stresses the importance of vegetables, legumes, and healthy oils for a healthy diet. Fiber lowers cholesterol and assists in weight management, contributing to a healthier heart. Anti-oxidants help fight inflammation which damages tissues, the heart lining, and heart muscle.
• Eliminate saturated fat from your diet. Fried foods and high-fat animal foods such as bacon, eggs, cheese, and butter are the leading cause of atherosclerosis. Palm oil, palm kernel oil, lard and transfats are added to packaged foods for stability and increased shelf-life, but they’re pro-inflammatory ingredients. Always read foods labels before buying anything packaged. Familiarize yourself with different food additives to avoid the most harmful ones.
• Manage external factors, such as stress, and get enough high-quality sleep. If you are a smoker, quitting should be first on your list. Add an exercise routine to your schedule and make it a habit. Exercise should be a regular activity for a lifetime. You don’t need to run a marathon or become a bodybuilder, just do the best you can, but be consistent and persistent.
• Finally, invest in your health. You live in your body every day, doesn’t it deserve some TLC? If exercise is difficult, hire a fitness trainer to get you started. If changing your eating habits is a challenge, talk to a clinical nutritionist who will create a customized nutrition plan that takes into account your food preference, your work schedule, and your stress and activity levels. A healthy lifestyle should include knowledge, skills, and understanding of your goals and what makes you happy. It should be a natural evolution toward healthier habits that fit your routine.

Our nutrition program accomplishes just that and covers the entire scope of cardiovascular disease:

• Inflammation
• Metabolic syndrome (high glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides)
• Hypertension
• Weight loss
• Chronic fatigue

In this video, Stephen, an international business lawyer, shares how he felt for years while struggling with excess weight and his road to a healthier life without the threat of heart disease.

Follow your heart and take the first step. Fill out the form below and we’ll do the rest.