Strategies For Achieving A Healthy Heart Diet

In the last 5 years both the number and variety of foods with reduced saturated fat and cholesterol taking up residence on the store shelves has increased dramatically. Such family favorites as chips, ground turkey, dairy, mayonnaise, and salad dressings now come in reduced fat varieties. But one can’t get lulled into thinking that just because a product touts low fat or reduced fat that all of the sudden it has become a health food of some sort.

Food manufacturers know that most of us either don’t care, can’t see well enough, don’t have the time, or don’t want to know what the labels says about fat. So you must be your own food detective in order to achieve your goal of consuming a heart healthy diet. Let me give you a couple of examples as to why. There is a brand of ground turkey that I used to buy quite often. On the front of the label in bold letters it proclaimed to have 43 percent less fat than beef but when I read the fine print it actually contained 27 percent saturated fat per 4 ounce serving. My second example is one of those heart healthy buttery spreads which on the lid had bunch of information about vitamins, omega 3, and minerals but it wasn’t even for the butter, it was for sour cream. When I examined the label I found that one tablespoon contained 2.5 grams of saturated fat.

How does all this tie in to healthy heart diet?

What we know is that about half of Americans have borderline high cholesterol levels with saturated fat being the enemy. The reason for this is that saturated fat raises blood lipid levels more than any other type of fat. So in order to actually have a healthy heart diet we must not only reduce the amount of cholesterol we consume but saturated fat as well.
Most studies suggest that daily intake of saturated fat should be no more than about 18 grams (8%) and daily cholesterol no more than 200 milligrams a day. In order to do this you will need to read your labels, keep meat portions small, substitute fish for red meat once or twice a week, cut back or eliminate full fat dairy (cheese, sour cream, butter), and consume more fruits, vegetables, and soluble fiber rich whole grains.

Why does soluble fiber matter?

Think of soluble fiber as your healthy heart diet body guard who looks after you when things go wrong. Soluble fiber rich foods are oat meal, oat bran, whole grain cereals such as Cheerios and Shredded Wheat, flax seed bread, beans, fruit pulp, and vegetables. The advantage of soluble fiber is that it binds with cholesterol in the intestines and prevents it from getting back into your bloodstream.

What about natural cholesterol reduction supplements?

When used to support otherwise healthy diet and lifestyle changes these types of products can help you improve your results. In many ways natural cholesterol reduction supplements used as part of a healthy heart diet are a perfect fit since many of the ingredients come from foods. Examples would be policosanol from sugar cane/beeswax or phytosterols derived from plants.

In summary, a healthy heart diet is just about making smart choices and changing old habits. Armed with accurate information, a good pair of reading glasses, and the willpower to make lifestyle changes, you should have your cholesterol under control in no time.

By: R.D. Hawkins

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R.D. Hawkins is an enthusiastic advocate for the use of natural health products and natural living with over 10 years experience in the field. Learn more about natural remedies and natural health at Purchase Remedies.com