The healthy heart diet is a lifelong process that
starts with education about the effects of food on the
heart. People on this diet learn to make wise food
choices, relying on information including the nutri-
tional labels on processed food. The labels provide
information about the calories, fats, sodium, and
sugar in a single serving of the product.
Benefits
The benefits of a healthy heart diet are that people
lower their cholesterol levels and reduce their risks of
cardiovascular disease. A healthy heart diet is a preven-
tive plan for people age 2 and older since high choles-
terol could become an issue in childhood. Parents who
place their children on healthy heart diets not only help
them with physical health, they give their children with
the basics for a lifetime of healthy habits.
Diet and regular physical activity keep cholesterol
at healthy levels. The healthy heart diet that is also a
weight loss plan will help obese and overweight people
shed excess pounds. Smoking is another risk factor
that will be lowered when people stop smoking. Dia-
betes and high blood pressure also put people at risk
for heart disease. Both may be treated with medica-
tion, and people diagnosed with those conditions will
benefit from a healthy heart diet.
Factors like heredity can’t be changed, so people
with a family history of high cholesterol or early heart
disease should prescribe to a heart healthy diet. The
NHLBI defined the person at risk as someone with a
father or brother diagnosed with this condition before
the age 55. There is also a risk to someone with a
mother or sister with this condition before age 65.
Furthermore, cholesterol levels rise as a person
ages. The level rises in men at age 45 and older. For
women, the increase is generally seen at age 55 and
older, according to NHLBI.
Precautions
A healthy heart diet is safe for people age 2 and
older. However, some people may to consult with their
doctor before eating some foods such as fish. The
United States Food and Drug Administration and
the Environmental Protection Agency in 2004 warned
pregnant women and nursing mothers to limit their
consumption of fish and shellfish to 12 ounces (340.2
grams) per week. The warning was issued because of
the risk that toxins in seafood would cause develop-
mental problems in babies and children. Furthermore,
women who are pregnant or nursing should not eat
shark, marlin, and swordfish because of the high mer-
cury content in these fish.
RisksWhen following a healthy heart diet, people need
to be aware of the nutritional content of the foods they
consume. They need to evaluate that information and
make wise food choices. For example, the AHA points
out that nuts and seeds are cholesterol-free sources of
protein and a source of unsaturated fat. However, nuts
and seeds are high in calories. Furthermore, frozen
meals that are low in calories and fat should be exam-
ined for their sodium content.
Those foods can be part of a healthy heart diet.
However, people need to observe nutritional recom-
mendations for daily fat, sodium, and calorie allow-
ances. Otherwise, their diet will aggravate a condition
like high blood pressure orobesity.Research and general acceptanceMore than a century ago, W.O. Atwater of the
UDSA cautioned about the dangers of overeating. His
warning proved accurate. Cardiovascular disease
(CVD) was the leading cause of death in the United
States in each year since 1900, with the exception of
1918, according to the American Heart Association’s
Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics—2007 Update.
The heart association compiles that report in conjunc-
tion with government agencies.QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR
DOCTOR Should I be concerned about my cholesterol
levels?
What do I need to do to lower cholesterol levels?
Do I need to lose weight? If so, what is a healthy
goal weight?
What healthy heart diet should I follow?
Should I avoid certain foods because of
medications I’m taking or because of a health
condition?
What is the minimum amount of calories that I
should eat each day to lose weight?
Am I physically able to begin an exercise
program?
What is the best type of exercise for me?
How long should I do this exercise?
How many times a week should I exercise?
Are there any instructions I need to prevent
injuries?Healthy heart diet