Health: Eat right to save your heart

People need to understand the right meals that can save them from heart problems. A person should not eat foods with very high levels of cholesterol. Foods with saturated fats and trans fats raise blood cholesterol. Dietary cholesterol also raises blood cholesterol. A high level of cholesterol in the blood is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease and in most cases leads to heart attacks. It also increases the risk of stroke. People who have experienced heart problems should limit foods high in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol. These also include all milk dairy products, fatty meats, tropical oils, partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and egg yolks. Instead one should choose foods low in saturated fat, Trans fat and cholesterol. Such food materials include a variety of fruits and vegetables. People should eat a variety of grain products; also eat fish at least twice a week, particularly fatty fish. Sometimes you can Include fat-free and low-fat milk products, legumes (beans), skinless poultry and lean meats. The main sources of saturated fat are foods from animals and some plants such as coconut oil. Trans fats result from adding hydrogen to vegetable oils used in commercial baked goods and for cooking in most restaurants and fast-food chains. Cookies, crackers and other commercial baked goods made with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils may be high in trans fat. French fries, donuts and other commercial fried foods are major sources of Trans fat. Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids are two types of unsaturated fatty acids. Polyunsaturated fats tend to help the body get rid of newly formed cholesterol. Thus, they keep the blood cholesterol level down and reduce cholesterol deposits in artery walls. Recent scientific research has showed that monounsaturated fats may also help reduce blood cholesterol as long as the diet is very low in saturated fat. Examples of polyunsaturated fats are sunflower-seed oils, nuts and seeds and monounsaturated fats are olive, canola and peanut oils and avocados. Plenty of food staffs with high fibre content is important for the health of the digestive system and lowering cholesterol. Foods containing fibre often are good sources of other essential nutrients. Depending on how these food staffs are prepared, these foods can also be low in trans fat, saturated fat and cholesterol. Fruits, vegetables, whole-grain, high-fibre foods, beans and legumes are good sources of both soluble and insoluble dietary fibre. When eaten regularly as part of a diet low in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol, soluble fiber have been associated with increased diet quality and decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. Oats have the highest proportion of soluble fibre of any grain. Foods high in soluble fibre include oat bran, oatmeal, beans, peas, rice bran, barley, citrus fruits, strawberries and apple pulp. Most vegetables and fruits are rich in nutrients, low in calories and high in fibre. Therefore, diets high in vegetables and fruits meet vitamin, mineral and fibre needs without adding a lot of calories. From here, one can conclude that diets rich in vegetables and fruits have been shown to lower blood pressure and improve other cardiovascular disease risk factors. In vegetables, the best way to cook them is by steaming in order to preserve its nutrients. In chicken, it is more advisable when you cook them to skin out the meat because chicken skins are very high in cholesterols. Vegetable salads are more palatable to the appetite if a dash of lemon juice is added or using seasonings that will enhance its flavour. Changing or rotation of feeding mechanism can lead to a healthier body and it will not only enhance the body metabolism but also prevents the body from any illnesses and cardiovascular diseases. We can therefore say that a healthy body makes us strong and mentally aware, smart at all times which will lead to sound judgment and wise decisions. Ends