What are Heart Nutrition Programs?
Following a heart nutrition program can help reduce your risk for heart disease. These programs can also reduce your risk of cancer and other health problems. Heart nutrition programs help you develop healthy eating habits and a well-balanced diet. They focus on increasing your intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins.
Why are heart nutrition programs important?
Your doctor may suggest you follow a heart nutrition program if you currently have cardiovascular disease or are at risk for developing heart disease. If you have high cholesterol and blood pressure or are prediabetic, a heart nutrition program can improve your numbers and help you lose weight if needed.
What can you expect from a heart nutrition program?
Heart nutrition programs help you set goals to achieve better health. You might work on:
- Choosing low-fat and fat-free dairy foods
- Controlling your portion sizes
- Eating more whole grains and limiting starchy foods such as white bread, pasta and baked goods
- Increasing your intake of fruits and vegetable
- Learning how to make healthy swaps, such as lean proteins (chicken and fish) instead of red meat
- Limiting your alcohol intake
- Opting for healthy fats, such as olive oil and Omega-3, instead of saturated fats and processed foods
- Planning for an occasional “treat” of your choosing
- Watching your sodium intake
What is recovery like after a heart nutrition program?
After following a heart nutrition program for a while, you may be able to:
- Better control your blood sugar (glucose), if you’re diabetic
- Lose weight
- Reduce your blood pressure
- Reduce your cholesterol levels, especially LDL (“bad”) cholesterol
What are common conditions that could require a heart nutrition program?
You may need to follow a heart nutrition program if you currently have or are at risk for developing the following conditions:
- Atherosclerosis
- Heart attack
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- High cholesterol (hyperlipidemia)
- Stroke