Heart Healthy Foods and Diet Tips

Heart Healthy TipsLiving is a Life Style

In this article we are going to talk about Heart Healthy foods and diet tips.  Okay, we all know that diet and exercise can prevent a lot of things in life. It is said to lead to happiness, sleeping better, enhanced mental health and of course maintaining a healthy weight. How many of you think about diet and exercise helps your heart though? Unless you have been diagnosed with heart problems, high blood pressure, or someone made mention that your weight is unhealthy – that fire probably hasn’t been lit about having to really implement a healthier lifestyle. Now we are going to go over some diet and exercise tips that keep the heart healthy, and will definitely bring quick but noticeable changes overall.

Portion Control helps Keep the Heart Healthy

Again, another term you may have heard a thousand times but don’t really listen too is ‘portion control.’ This is so incredibly important and can drastically change your body’s metabolism, help you control your blood sugar and weight. Portion sizes are often something that people are very shocked to learn about when they see a ‘proper’ portion, versus what they typically would eat in a sitting.

Eat Your Fruits and Veggies this Helps Your Heart

Not only are they rich in vitamins and nutrients, they help build up your immune system and prevent the onset of some diseases further down the road. Fresh and frozen vegetables are always going to be the best option but if you are buying those prepackaged ones, remember to go with the low sodium option– packed in water or juice, etc.

Whole Grains and Healthy Fats

Skip the white and go with the wheat. This goes for breads, pastas…anything with grains in it is going to be the better option. Healthy fats are olive oil, canola oil, avocados, fishes, nuts/seeds. You will notice that just because something is healthy for you, doesn’t mean that it can’t be absolutely delicious.

With these food adjustments, you will be doing yourself, heart, mind, body and soul, wonders. It may take a little adjusting to but this only lasts temporarily. Getting off the couch and integrating some daily walking routines will go a long way in keep your heart healthy. A body in motion will stay in motion and that is something to keep in mind. If you can shoot for 10,000 steps daily, that is a great start because that is the limit to just maintain your body  weight.

A picture of Giovanni B. Ciuffo, MD wearing his Mercy One doctor attire.

About the Author

Giovanni B. Ciuffo, MD Director is an expert in Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery and Bloodless Heart Surgery is the outcome of his commitment to the development and improvement of both of these techniques. He runs a Cardiothoracic Surgery practice and manages Minimally Invasive and Bloodless Heart Surgery Program where he cares for patients from all over the country and locally. Click here to learn more about Dr. Ciuffo.

Board Certified:
American Board of Surgery
American Board of Thoracic Surgery