Eating a Balanced Diet Supports Your Heart Health - New American Heart Association Dietary Guidelines
1/14/2022
New American Heart Association Dietary Guidelines
Mooresville, N.C. --- The new updated dietary guidelines from the American Heart Association focus more on your overall eating habits rather than a list of no-no’s. Taking in sufficient nutrients will support your heart health and general well-being over your lifetime. Research on dietary patterns have found 14% to 28% lower cardiovascular disease mortality among U.S. adults with high compared with low adherence to high-quality dietary patterns.
Filling your diet with whole, unprocessed foods brings the most benefit – fruits and vegetables, fish and seafood, low or non-fat dairy, nuts and seeds, lean meat and poultry. Minimize your intake of salt and added sugars, especially those frequently found in processed foods. Too much salt can increase blood pressure and too much sugar can lead to excess weight.
Nicole Gyasi, M.D., a family medicine physician with Lake Norman Medical Group, Primary Care Morrison Plantation, appreciates the message of balance in the new AHA guidelines.
“Maintaining a healthy weight through a well-balanced diet and regular physical activity has a significant impact on heart health. It's fine to treat yourself to a dessert or packaged food once in a while; the key is to keep these treats to a modest part of your overall diet,” says Dr. Gyasi.
Beginning with our mother’s diet before we’re born, the food and drinks we take in from infancy through adulthood build in impact on our health over time. Helping your child develop healthy eating habits early gives them a strong foundation. Prevention of pediatric obesity is key to preserving and prolonging ideal cardiovascular health.
Focus on making every calorie you take in bring value. Adjust how much you consume based on your level of activity, reduce portions and calories if you are less active.
Simple changes can add up. Eat a piece of fresh fruit rather than drinking packaged, processed juice with added sugars. Buy bread or pasta made with whole grains rather than refined grains. If you regularly eat pasta, eat a smaller amount and add another vegetable to your plate. When you eat crackers, choose low-salt versions made from nuts, rice or whole grains.
“Poor nutrition quality can raise your risk of cardiovascular disease and other health problems. Make it a practice to eat healthful foods at every meal, whether you're eating at home or out,” Dr. Gyasi further states.
To find a physician or learn more about healthy choices for you, visit LakeNormanMedicalGroup.com.
Lake Norman Medical Group offers a free e-newsletter with a monthly dose of health and wellness inspiration sent directly to your inbox from a trusted medical source. Sign up here..
Source:
Lichtenstein AH, Appel LJ, Vadiveloo M, Hu FB, Kris-Etherton PM, Rebholz CM, Sacks FM, Thorndike AN, Van Horn L, Wylie-Rosett J; on behalf of the American Heart Association Council on Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health; Council on Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology; Council on Cardiovascular Radiology and Intervention; Council on Clinical Cardiology; and Stroke Council. 2021 Dietary guidance to improve cardiovascular health: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2021;144:e472–e487. doi: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000001031
Back