Diet and food play an integral role in keeping your heart healthy. Here are the 4 tips that will keep your heart and health in prime condition with minimal effort.
Sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy diet and food are considered the most important causes of heart diseases. Even a moderate level of physical activity, like abrisk walk, sports, and yoga, coupled with some care regarding your diet can go a long way to keep your heart, and overall health for that matter, in a prime condition. Here are the diet and food tips that are easy to implement and proven by research to keep you healthy.
- Balanced Diet
Keep your diet balanced. Take the macronutrients, that are carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, in the recommended quantities according to your caloric requirements. You can know your caloric requirements and the right amounts of these macronutrients by some research, or in consultation with your dietician – it is worth it.
- Eat Natural Unprocessed Food
Our bodies have been evolved to take advantage of the food in its most natural form. Prefer the food in its natural form and try to have organic food with fewer pesticides.
- Select Whole Grains
Whole grains contain fiber and other micronutrients. Processing often makes the grain less healthy and deprives it of the fiber and other micronutrients leaving empty calories. Whole wheat flour, high-fiber cereals, brown rice, barley, and steel-cut or regular oatmeal are some of the healthy whole grain options.
- Substitute Healthy Fats with Unhealthy Fats
Most of the processed fats are unhealthy. Our sedentary lifestyle has made even some healthy fats unhealthy because our bodies are not able to use them properly. To be on the safe side, use olive oil, vegetable and nut oil, and canola oil. Fats in unprocessed nuts and fruits are very healthy for your heart. On the other hand, fats in lard, bacon, cream sauce, non-dairy creamers, and hydrogenated fats are some examples of non-healthy fats.
Natural butter and coconut oil can be taken in small quantities if you have an active lifestyle. However, they are not recommended for people with asedentary lifestyle.
Alina Smith is a health blog author with an interest in the intersection of wellness and mental health. She’s worked as a writer, editor, and communications specialist for various healthcare organizations. Alina has also led projects to improve access to care for underserved populations in both rural and urban settings.
