How to Avoid Foods That Are Bad for Your Heart
Avoid trans fats., Limit saturated fats., Minimize your sodium intake., Limit your consumption of red meat., Limit alcohol consumption., Avoid sweetened beverages.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Avoid trans fats.
There are a variety of foods in the typical American or Western diet that should be limited or avoided due to their link to heart disease.
Trans fats in particular are one of the worst foods for your heart.
The majority of trans fats are very processed and are a man-made fat.
Very few trans fats occur naturally.They're typically labeled as "hydrogenated oil" or "partially hydrogenated oils" on the food label.
These fats are considered the worst by health professionals.
They raise your LDL (or bad cholesterol) and decrease your HDL (good cholesterol).The most common sources of trans fat are: fried foods, fast foods, baked goods and pastries, creamer and margarine, pre-made cookie dough or biscuit dough, and snack foods like chips, crackers or buttery popcorn.
There is no safe limit for trans fats.
You want to avoid them as much as possible. -
Step 2: Limit saturated fats.
Saturated fat is another type of fat that health professionals typically want limited in your diet.
Although not considered as unhealthy as trans fats, it's still important to limit your total saturated fat intake.Unlike trans fats, saturated fats occur naturally.
They typically occur in animal products like full-fat dairy products, fatty red meat, skin on poultry and fatty cuts of pork.Saturated fat has been shown to increase your LDL levels (the bad cholesterol); however, it does not affect your HDL levels.
Some studies have also shown that high quantities of saturated fat may increase your risk for type 2 diabetes.Health professionals recommend limiting your total saturated fat intake to less than 10% of your total calories.
If you're eating 2,000 calories daily, you shouldn't consume more than 22 g of saturated fat daily. , In addition to limiting saturated fats and cutting out trans fats, it's also important to moderate your total sodium intake.
Although sodium doesn't have a direct effect on your heart, other conditions it causes do.
A high sodium diet can lead to high blood pressure and stroke.High blood pressure can severely damage your heart and arteries over time.Reducing salt may reduce blood pressure in normotensive, prehypertensive, and hypertensive individuals.It's recommended to limit your sodium intake to 2,300 mg daily or less.Some of the foods highest in sodium or salt include: breads, restaurant foods (especially fast foods), deli meat, frozen meals, canned goods, processed meats, condiments and sauces, chips, pretzels and pizza. , A very specific food that has been more recently linked to heart disease is red meat — especially fatty cuts of red meat.
Limit your intake of beef as this can lead to heart disease.A recent study showed that when people ate red meat regularly, they showed increased levels of a compound that is directly linked with the development of heart disease.If you currently eat red meat on a regular basis, consider moderating how much you eat and switch to lean cuts.
Cut your consumption down to one serving a week or one serving every other week. , There are many studies that suggest that drinking a moderate amount of alcohol may produce some protective benefits to the heart; however, drinking more alcohol than recommended or on a regular basis can actually cause heart disease.Drinking a moderate amount of alcohol is defined as drinking two or less drinks daily for men and one or less drinks daily for women.Drinking three or more drinks at a time has a direct toxic effect to the heart.
Heavier drinking like this can lead to high blood pressure, enlarge the heart muscle and weaken it over time.
Although there are some benefits to very small amounts of alcohol, it's still best to limit your overall consumption and consume a maximum of one to two drinks occasionally, not daily. , Sweetened beverages have been linked to many adverse health effects like obesity and diabetes and can also lead to heart disease.A recent study that was conducted showed that consuming 2 sweetened beverages daily increased the risk of heart disease and heart failure by 25%.Limit drinks with added sugars or high amounts of sugar like: sodas, fruit juices, fruit juice cocktails, sweetened coffee drinks, sweet tea, sports drinks, energy drinks and punch.
Instead, try aiming for 64 oz of water, sparkling water, unsweetened decaf coffee, tea or a combination of all of these. -
Step 3: Minimize your sodium intake.
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Step 4: Limit your consumption of red meat.
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Step 5: Limit alcohol consumption.
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Step 6: Avoid sweetened beverages.
Detailed Guide
There are a variety of foods in the typical American or Western diet that should be limited or avoided due to their link to heart disease.
Trans fats in particular are one of the worst foods for your heart.
The majority of trans fats are very processed and are a man-made fat.
Very few trans fats occur naturally.They're typically labeled as "hydrogenated oil" or "partially hydrogenated oils" on the food label.
These fats are considered the worst by health professionals.
They raise your LDL (or bad cholesterol) and decrease your HDL (good cholesterol).The most common sources of trans fat are: fried foods, fast foods, baked goods and pastries, creamer and margarine, pre-made cookie dough or biscuit dough, and snack foods like chips, crackers or buttery popcorn.
There is no safe limit for trans fats.
You want to avoid them as much as possible.
Saturated fat is another type of fat that health professionals typically want limited in your diet.
Although not considered as unhealthy as trans fats, it's still important to limit your total saturated fat intake.Unlike trans fats, saturated fats occur naturally.
They typically occur in animal products like full-fat dairy products, fatty red meat, skin on poultry and fatty cuts of pork.Saturated fat has been shown to increase your LDL levels (the bad cholesterol); however, it does not affect your HDL levels.
Some studies have also shown that high quantities of saturated fat may increase your risk for type 2 diabetes.Health professionals recommend limiting your total saturated fat intake to less than 10% of your total calories.
If you're eating 2,000 calories daily, you shouldn't consume more than 22 g of saturated fat daily. , In addition to limiting saturated fats and cutting out trans fats, it's also important to moderate your total sodium intake.
Although sodium doesn't have a direct effect on your heart, other conditions it causes do.
A high sodium diet can lead to high blood pressure and stroke.High blood pressure can severely damage your heart and arteries over time.Reducing salt may reduce blood pressure in normotensive, prehypertensive, and hypertensive individuals.It's recommended to limit your sodium intake to 2,300 mg daily or less.Some of the foods highest in sodium or salt include: breads, restaurant foods (especially fast foods), deli meat, frozen meals, canned goods, processed meats, condiments and sauces, chips, pretzels and pizza. , A very specific food that has been more recently linked to heart disease is red meat — especially fatty cuts of red meat.
Limit your intake of beef as this can lead to heart disease.A recent study showed that when people ate red meat regularly, they showed increased levels of a compound that is directly linked with the development of heart disease.If you currently eat red meat on a regular basis, consider moderating how much you eat and switch to lean cuts.
Cut your consumption down to one serving a week or one serving every other week. , There are many studies that suggest that drinking a moderate amount of alcohol may produce some protective benefits to the heart; however, drinking more alcohol than recommended or on a regular basis can actually cause heart disease.Drinking a moderate amount of alcohol is defined as drinking two or less drinks daily for men and one or less drinks daily for women.Drinking three or more drinks at a time has a direct toxic effect to the heart.
Heavier drinking like this can lead to high blood pressure, enlarge the heart muscle and weaken it over time.
Although there are some benefits to very small amounts of alcohol, it's still best to limit your overall consumption and consume a maximum of one to two drinks occasionally, not daily. , Sweetened beverages have been linked to many adverse health effects like obesity and diabetes and can also lead to heart disease.A recent study that was conducted showed that consuming 2 sweetened beverages daily increased the risk of heart disease and heart failure by 25%.Limit drinks with added sugars or high amounts of sugar like: sodas, fruit juices, fruit juice cocktails, sweetened coffee drinks, sweet tea, sports drinks, energy drinks and punch.
Instead, try aiming for 64 oz of water, sparkling water, unsweetened decaf coffee, tea or a combination of all of these.
About the Author
Scott Chapman
Writer and educator with a focus on practical crafts knowledge.
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