Right Nutrition May Help to Avoid Cardiovascular Disease

Adopting healthy eating habits is one way to reduce the risk of developing heart disease and stroke, scientists believe.

Photo: Right Nutrition May Help to Avoid Cardiovascular Disease

The American Heart Association gives a number of recommendations concerning nutrition for those potentially affected by heart diseases:

- Choose lean meats and poultry without skin and prepare them without added saturated and trans fat.

- Select fat-free, one percent fat or low-fat dairy products.

- Cut back on foods containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oils to reduce trans fat in your diet.

- Cut back on foods high in dietary cholesterol. Aim to eat less than 300 mg of cholesterol each day.

- Cut back on beverages and foods with added sugars.

- Choose and prepare foods with little or no salt. Aim to eat less than 2,300 mg of sodium per day. Anyone with hypertension, all middle-aged and older adults should consume no more than 1,500 mg of sodium per day.

- If you drink alcohol, drink in moderation. That means no more than one drink per day if you're a woman and two drinks per day if you're a man.

- Keep an eye on your portion sizes.

As part of a healthy diet, an adult consuming 2,000 calories daily should aim for:

- Fruits and vegetables: At least 41Ú2 cups a day

- Fish (preferably oily fish): At least two 31Ú2-ounce servings a week

- Fiber-rich whole grains: At least three 1-ounce-equivalent servings a day

- Sodium: Less than 1,500 mg a day

- Sugar-sweetened beverages: No more than 450 calories (36 ounces) a week

Other nutrition measures:

- Nuts, legumes and seeds: At least four servings a week

- Processed meats: No more than two servings a week

- Saturated fat: Less than 7 percent of total energy intake

Be sure to eat a wide variety of nutritious foods daily. As always, small changes in lifestyle can make a big difference in improving your overall health.

News-Press com. has contributed to the report.