A Healthy Heart starts with Nutrition

Tatiana Jeon

Dec 31, 2022

2 min read

Updated: Jan 31, 2023

We can all agree that the heart plays a vital role to our health, but the question is, how do we take care of the organ that keeps us alive? Perhaps your doctor has let you know that you should follow a heart healthy diet; to be a bit more conscious of your heart health. If you're looking for where to start, you've come to the right place.

A heart healthy diet is not too different from your general healthy diet: there are many factors that contribute to a heart healthy diet and lifestyle; however, the main focal points in diet are salt and fat. Both are essential to us; however, it's important to know how to consume them.

Salt brings out flavor in food, while fat gives richness and depth. Both play huge roles in creating delicious dishes in the food industry, but unfortunately these nutrients have been on overtime in the standard American diet. Looking to start a heart conscious diet?

Where do I start?

For most, the best way to approach a dietary change is by making goals that make sense to you: goals that are challenging, but reachable. Approach change with curiosity. Choose any one of the following tips as a starting point, and take on more in the future when you're ready:

Cut down on eating out

The same foods you cook at home have so much more sodium when eating out, or when consuming prepackaged foods and meals. Salt is a natural preservative, often used to keep food fresh before the refrigeration was invented. It's still used to preserve and prolong shelf life of foods, and to provide as a flavor enhancer in restaurants today.

More variety, less fried

Fats still make up a healthy 30% of our diet, and are essential for our health; however, the typical American diet lacks variety. Variety is important because fats carry different nutrients: your vegetable oil will provide different nutrients from your olive oil, fish, eggs, avocado, or walnuts. Watch the fried foods, and go for baked or air-fried instead. Fried foods contain a lot of oil, throwing off the balance you need to maintain a healthy ratio of fats for your health.

"Meatless Mondays"

Believe it or not, Americans on average consume too much protein. Protein has been emphasized so much in diet culture; however, the truth is, the average person only needs 10-20% of protein in their diet every day. If you find yourself consuming meat as your main source of protein, challenge yourself to go meatless and seek out vegetarian sources of protein. Start with the meatless Monday challenge, and see if you can incorporate more meatless days to make room for other sources of protein: eggs, beans, lentils, nuts and nut butters, tofu, etc. Vegetarian sources of protein have a heart healthy minerals like phosphorus. Vegetarian sources of phosphorus are different from that found in meats: they're easier for the body to handle, so give your body a break, and choose more plant proteins!