cardiovascular disease 1 | Page 6

staying healthy

06

For someone with heart disease, diet is a big deal. Along with other healthy habits, it can slow or even partially reverse the narrowing of the heart's arteries and help prevent further complications.

Focus on what the person with heart disease can eat, not just what's off-limits. Research shows that adding heart-saving foods is just as important as cutting back on others.

Tips on a healthier lifestyle.

1. Serve more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes.

2. Choose fat calories wisely.

3. Serve a variety of protein-rich foods.

4. Limit cholesterol.

5. Serve the right kind of carbs.

6. Eat regularly.

7. Cut back on salt.

8. Encourage hydration.

9. Keep serving sizes in check.

Reversing heart disease is critical, considering heart disease often starts in childhood. Heart disease was found to be almost non-existent in populations eating a diet centered on whole plant foods. The arteries of those eating a plant-based diet have less atherosclerotic plaque than runners or those on a low-carb diet.