HEART HEALTHY DIET

Recommendations for a heart healthy diet:

• Balance the number of calories you eat and physical activity to maintain a healthy body weight (this means not eating more calories than you need).
• Make your diet rich in fruits and vegetables. A typical adult should try for 9-10 servings (4.5 cups) of fruits and vegetables every day.
• Choose whole grains and high-fiber foods (Three 1-oz. servings per day). A diet rich in fiber can help manage your weight because fiber keeps you feeling fuller longer, so you eat less.
• Eat fish, especially oily fish like salmon or albacore tuna, twice a week to get omega-3 fatty acids.
• Limit saturated and trans fat and cholesterol by choosing lean meats, selecting fat-free (skim), 1 percent, and low-fat dairy products, and avoiding hydrogenated fats (margarine, shortening, cooking oils, and the foods made from them).
• Limit the amount of added sugars you consume to no more than half of your daily discretionary calorie allowance. For most American women, this is no more than 100 calories per day and no more than 150 calories per day for men (or approximately 6 teaspoons/day for women and 9 teaspoons/day for men).
• Limit sugar-sweetened beverages to no more than 450 calories (36 oz.) per week.
• Choose and prepare foods with little or no salt (sodium) to maintain healthy blood pressure. Keep sodium intake to 1,500 mg per day or less. Limit processed meat (such as sandwich meat, sausage, and hot dogs) to fewer than two servings per week.
• Try to eat four servings per week of nuts, seeds, or legumes (beans).
• If you choose to consume alcohol, do so in moderation. This means an average of one to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women
• If you eat out, pay attention to portion size and the number of calories in your meal

Sample meal plans:

• Breakfast: 1 Cup 1% Milk, 1 Orange, medium, 1 1/2 Cups Cheerios Cereal
• Morning Snack: 1 1/2 Cups Cantaloupe Melon, 2/3 Cup Low Fat, Low Sodium Cottage Cheese
• Lunch: Lemony Lentil Salad with Salmon 1 Large Whole-Wheat Pita Bread
• Afternoon Snack: 4 Tablespoons Prepared Hummus, 4 Ounces Carrot Sticks, and 2/3 Cup Nonfat Strawberry Frozen Yogurt
• Dinner: 3/4 Cup Cooked Brown Rice and 1 Cup Steamed Spinach

Also always remember to consult with your doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment.

Reference: http://umm.edu/health/medical/reports/articles/hearthealthy-diet
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/HealthyEating/

Thank you to Senior Allegiance Home Care for providing these Healthy Living Senior Tips for our Villa Assisted Living seniors in Corpus Christi, Texas.

For more Information, call Administator Karina Walker, RN BSN at Senior Allegiance at 713-975-1519 or www.SeniorAllegiance.com
or Executive Directors Patricia Torres at 361-991-3252 or Tonda Johnson 361-242-9446 or South@VillaAssistedLiving.com.

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