Diet and Cardiovascular Disease - Eat Healthy to Prevent Cardiovascular Disease

Do you know that accumulation of cholesterol and fatty substances in the blood vessels leads to heart disease or cardiovascular disease? You might be interested to know about the sources of cholesterol. Cholesterol comes from your body and the foods you eat. Therefore, you need to make certain changes in your diet to stay away from cardiovascular disease. Knowledge about foods that are best for your health will help prevent major complications such as heart disease later. Also, you need to change your dietary habit before the situation goes out of your control.

Buildup of cholesterol in the blood vessels hampers the proper blood pumping function of heart. Complete blockage of the blood vessels leads to heart attack or heart stroke. This does not mean that you should completely restrict yourself from cholesterol. Not all cholesterol is bad, some are good and some are bad. There are mainly two types of cholesterol, LDL (Low Density Lipoproteins) and HDL (High Density Lipoproteins). HDL cholesterol is good for your heart while LDL cholesterol is bad. This statement might encourage you to eat foods that contain good cholesterol. High LDL levels of cholesterol in your blood can pose problem for you but presence of high HDL levels of cholesterol is a blessing for you.

What are the risk factors associated with cardiovascular or heart disease?

Some of the risk factors associated with heart disease are high LDL levels in your blood, cigarette smoking, low HDL levels in your blood, less physical activity, obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes. The most important thing you need at this time is your motivation to keep yourself fit and healthy. Your strong will power will definitely help you avoid indulging in unhealthy foods. Remember, there are a variety of foods in this world that may tempt you and leave you craving for more. In such a case, only your strong will power and motivation will work in your favor and nothing else.

Points to remember

Avoid taking foods that are rich in saturated fats and trans fats. Increase the intake of fibers, vegetables, fruits and wholegrain foods to reap their maximum benefits. Stop or reduce the intake of alcohol if you want to have a healthy heart. Cigarette smoking brings you one step closer to developing cardiovascular disease. If giving up smoking seems like an impossible task then read books and magazines that describe best and easy ways to quit smoking. Also, reduce the intake of salt to keep your blood pressure on the healthier side.

More information about fats

The factors that determine how much fat you should consume per day depend upon your gender, size and age. If you seriously want to lower your blood cholesterol levels then reduce the intake of fat. Do not forget that high blood cholesterol levels will increase your chances of developing cardiovascular disease.

Trans fats are present in confectionery and processed foods and you will not be happy to know that these foods are not good for your heart. So, it would be better if you avoid consuming them. However, you should not try to cut fats out of your diet completely because some fats are actually good for your heart such as omega 3 fatty acids, monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. The sources of these healthy fats include plants and fish oils. Fish, walnut, flax and seafoods are rich in omega 3 fatty acids. Sources of monounsaturated fats include olive oil, nuts and avocados.

Some healthy suggestions for you

Use sunflower oil, rapeseed oil or olive oil instead of butter. Instead of frying your foods, you can practice other cooking methods such as grilling, baking and steaming. Reduce intake of confectionery and processed foods. Few plant derived compounds have been found effective in reducing blood cholesterol levels, for example, sterol esters, stanol esters etc. Regular consumption of these products is a prerequisite for gaining their health benefits. Foods that contain these plant derived compounds are yoghurt, soya, and spreads.

Add wholegrain foods like bread, pasta and rice to your diet. Pulses, oats and beans help reduce LDL cholesterol levels in your blood. Reduce the intake of alcohol if you cannot quit it for the sake of your heart. Soya protein helps reduce LDL cholesterols which in turn reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Soya milk and yoghurt are good examples of soya proteins.