Healthy
Eating
“An apple a day keeps the doctor away”. By choosing to eat a healthy diet you can prevent cardiovascular disease and associated complications. For the best results, combine the caloric intake from a healthy diet with regular physical exercise.
General guidelines:
Eat a rich variety of fruit and vegetables. The more intense the color, the higher the content of micronutrients good for your health (eg. spinach, carrots, peaches, forrest fruit)
Choose wholegrain cereal and foods rich in fiber. This category includes vegetables, legumes (beans, lentil, etc) and fruit. Wholegrain cereals include wholewheat foods, oats, rye, barley, brown rice, buckwheat, bulgur, millet and qinoa.
Eat fish at leat twice per week.
“Oily” fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Regular consumption of these fatty acids is associated with a lower risk of sudden death and coronary disease. At least 5-10% of the daily caloric intake should be made up of fat omega-6 acids found in vegetable oils such as oils made of sunflower, safflower, corn, soybeans, peanuts, other nuts and seeds.
Limit the intake of saturated fats (especially found in animal products) to less than 7% of the daily caloric intake. Reduce trans fats (hydrogenated fats and pastries and fast foods) to less than 1% of total calories, and cholesterol (eggs, dairy, red meat and poultry, fish and shellfish) should be reduced to less than 300 mg / day. Choose lean meats and vegetable alternatives (such as soy) milk containing little or no fat. Prepare red meat, skinless chicken and grilled or baked fish only.
Try to use little or no salt.
Try to avoid processed meat (rich in salt). Reducing salt intake will lead to lower blood pressure and cardiovascular disease risk.
Avoid foods and drinks with high sugar or sweeteners (glucose, fructose, maltose, sucrose, dextrose, concentrated juices, syrups).
Nutrition for children and adolescents.
Atherosclerotic plaque in the arteries forms during childhood. It is important that healthy eating habits start early to prevent the development of heart disease later in life. They should eat foods low in saturated and trans fats and cholesterol. Their diet must include fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, low-fat dairy, fish and lean meat.
For more information or guidelines on nutrition, visit your personal physician!