Eating a heart healthy diet is often the goal of patients who have discovered they have coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, or another of the heart conditions. Unfortunately, although a heart healthy diet will help to delay the inevitable, if they had begun earlier they may have been able to eliminate the condition in the first place.
Sometimes combining weight loss and a healthy heart diet will accomplish several goals at once. The patient will gain more energy, increase the ability to remain active, decrease the risk of high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease and stroke and decrease the risk of stress related illnesses.
The American Heart Association believes that weight loss and a healthy heart diet is so important that they have guidelines for selecting a weight loss and weight maintenance program.
They believe the food plan should be worked into the person’s current eating habits and preferences and set realistic goals for weight loss. Using a plan that cuts calories too quickly will cause the patient to lose motivation and confidence as well as cut necessary vitamins and minerals from the diet. People who want to attempt weight loss and a healthy heart diet should receive some nutritional education and physical activity to increase the likelihood they will achieve and maintain a healthier weight.
Resources:
American Heart Association: Losing Weight
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: Healthy Eating PLan
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/lose_wt/calories.htm
US Department of Health and Human Services: Heart-Healthy Reduced-Calorie Diets Promote Long-term Weight Loss
http://www.nih.gov/news/health/feb2009/nhlbi-25.htm
University of Maryland Medical Center: Heart Healthy Diet
University of California SanFrancisco Center for Prevention of Heart and Vascular disease
http://www.healthyheart.ucsf.edu/pdf/GrossmanDiet_4.11.pdf
Family Doctor: Coronary Artery Disease
Leave a Reply