Healthy Heart - My Top 10 Recommendations

Healthy Heart - My Top 10 Recommendations

1. First and foremost base your diet on the Five Laws of Nutrition
2. Avoid simple sugars
3. Limit high fat plant foods
4. Limit your salt intake
5. Eat no Animal products
6. Eliminate all oils from your diet
7. Increase your intake of fiber
8. Exercise moderately
9. Avoid Alcohol altogether
10. Stop smoking altogether

Lets look at these a little more closely

1. Base your diet on my Five Laws of Nutrition

• Fresh – Always try to eat seasonal foods. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables first when possible and choose frozen next if necessary. Always eat fresh before opening a can.
• Natural – Limit all processed foods (always read the nutritional label of processed foods to see if they match up to our label reading guidelines.
• Pure – Make sure your food has not been cloned, old or spoiled.
• Whole – Eat more foods that have all of their physical and chemical makeup in tacked, the makeup that God created them with.
• Organic – Choose foods without synthetic hormones, pesticides and insecticides.

2. Avoid simple sugars

If you have been diagnosed with heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or your triglycerides are above 150 mg/dl then avoid fruit, fruit juice and other simple sugars.

3. Limit high fat plant foods

Include in your diet but limit foods such as nuts and seeds, nuts and seed spreads/butters, avocados, coconut, olives and soybean products like tofu that is above 50% fat.

4. Limit your Salt intake

High amounts of sodium in your diet may increase your blood pressure. Use salt f.r.e.e seasonings, spices and herbs. Note, sea salt is better and more of a whole food but it is still salt and needs to be used on a limited bases. Instead of using salt to cook with lightly salt the food on your plate. Our taste buds for salty foods are on the tip of our tongues and will be satisfied with just a little sprinkle. A high salt food diet combined with an acceptable level of cholesterol can increase your risk of a stroke.

5. Eat NO Animal products

Eating no animal foods at all will drastically increase your hearts health. There is a noticeable difference in your health and well being even after 12 days of not eating any animal foods. This includes beef, chicken, pork, turkey, wild meats, fish or any form of seafood, eggs, milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, sour cream, cream cheese or any other dairy product. (Remember ALL animal products contain cholesterol and high amounts of saturated fats, fats and cholesterol are the culprits of not only heart disease but also play a huge roll in the top leading diseases in America.

6. Eliminate all oils from your diet

All oils damage the interior artery walls and are essentially liquid fats. (Note; there is no such thing as “reduced fat” oil. Just because there is some good components found in certain oils like “extra virgin olive oil” doesn’t mean it is good for someone with any form of heart disease or any other disease for that matter.) It is best to use water or vegetable broth to cook with. Oils are 100% fat.

7. Eat more fiber

Animal products have essentially NO fiber in them. Cholesterol is moved through the body from eating more fiber. Since cholesterol is the culprit and one of the underlining factors and measuring sticks in the risk of a heart attack or stroke it is a great idea to incorporate more fiber in the diet.

8. Moderately exercise regularly

Exercise increases HDL (high-density lipoprotein), which is the good cholesterol and decreases your risk of a heart attack or stroke. Even strolling for 20 min. three to four times per week increases HDL. Studies show that people who exercise the least die the soonest.

9. Eat only from the healthiest four food groups

Legumes (bean, peas and lentils) – 2 or more servings a day. Also included in the group are baked and refried beans, chickpeas, soymilk, tempeh, and textured soy protein and are all a good source of fiber, protein, iron, calcium, zinc, and B vitamins.

Fruits – 3 or more servings per day. Fruits are rich in fiber, beta-carotene and vitamin C. Choose whole fruit and not so much fruit juices as they do not contain much fiber. Each day include fruits that are high in vitamin C (This is only if your disease doesn’t restricts your use of them).

Vegetables – 4 or more servings a day. Dark green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, collards, kale mustard and turnip greens, chicory, or bok choy are very good sources of vitamin C, beta-carotene, riboflavin, iron, calcium, fiber and other nutrients. The dark yellow and orange vegetables like winter squash, sweet potatoes, pumpkin and carrots provide extra beta-carotene.

Whole Grains – 5 or more servings a day. It’s a good idea to build each main meal around whole grains. Included in this group are pasta, rice, breads, hot or cold cereals, millet barley, corn, tortillas, and buckwheat and are good sources of fiber, other complex carbohydrates, zinc, B vitamins as well a good source of protein.

10. Avoid alcohol altogether and stop smoking.