Diet, Lifestyle and Heart Disease - Do's and Don'ts

Diet, Lifestyle and Heart Disease - Do’s and Don’ts

It is not just enough that you add fruits, vegetables, whole-grain food, beans, legumes and fish but also remember to decrease or totally eliminate certain food types and change others in your diet plan.

• Cut down on beverages and fruit juices with added sugar.
• Avoid full cream milk and dairy products but consume semi-skimmed milk and its products.
• Avoid alcohol or drink in moderation preferably wine.
• Remove foods that have partially hydrogenated oils to reduce the trans fat content of your diet.
• Avoid processed foods as much as you can.
• Limit the use of condiments such as mustard, catsup, pickles and salted sauces.
• Switch to lean meat and prepare them without added fat.
• Use more of mono-unsaturated and polyunsaturated fat and avoid saturated fat.
• Use foods with low salt and try to add less salt while cooking.
• Flavour foods with herbs, spices, lemon or limejuice, vinegar or salt free seasoning blends.
• Avoid foods, which have low nutrition value like sodas, candy and fast foods.

Making changes in the diet plan and exercising regularly can help lower the risk of various heart diseases like heart attack, coronary artery syndrome, heart murmurs.