Introduction

Introduction

Heart-Healthy Goals. The goals of a heart-healthy diet are to eat foods that help obtain or maintain healthy levels of cholesterol and fatty molecules called lipids. You can achieve this by:

• Reducing overall cholesterol levels and low-density lipoproteins (LDL), which are harmful to the heart.
• Increasing high-density lipoproteins (HDL), which are beneficial for the heart.
• Reducing other harmful lipids (fatty molecules), such as triglycerides and lipoprotein(a).

Any diet should also help keep blood pressure and weight under control.

General Recommendations

The U.S. Department of Agriculture discarded its nearly 15-year-old food pyramid in early 2005, opting for a new symbol that places more emphasis on portion control, healthy food choices, and regular exercise. The new model, called MyPyramid, is based on revised dietary guidelines which encourage people to eat more fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat dairy products, and to reduce their intake of bad fats, cholesterol, salt, and added sugars.

Although there are many major dietary approaches for protecting health, experts generally agree on the following heart-smart recommendations:

• Choose fiber-rich food (whole grains, legumes, nuts) as the main source of carbohydrates, along with a high intake of fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Avoid saturated fats (found mostly in animal products) and trans fatty acids (found in hydrogenated fats and many commercial products and fast foods). Choose unsaturated fats, particularly omega-3 fatty acids (found in vegetable and fish oils).
• In selecting proteins, choose soy, legumes, poultry, and fish over meat. Fat-free and low-fat dairy products (skimmed milk, yogurt) are also healthy choices.
• Controlling weight, quitting smoking, and exercising are essential companions of any diet program.

After starting any heart healthy diet, it generally takes an average of 3 to 6 months before any noticeable reduction in cholesterol occurs, although some people have reported better levels in as few as 4 weeks. An intensive program may be necessary to achieve significant improvements in cholesterol levels and to reduce other heart risk factors.