When it comes to preventive health, cardiovascular disease is on the top of my list. My passion for spreading the word about heart health came a young age and grew over time as every single person I knew was touched in some way or another by cardiovascular disease (CVD). That should come as no surprise – CVD is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every 25 seconds an American will have a coronary event. The most common one – heart attack.
What is CVD? This umbrella term refers to diseases of the heart and blood vessels such as heart disease, aneurysm, stroke, congestive heart failure, hypertension, peripheral arterial disease, and congenital heart disease.
Luckily, it is never to late to start working on preventing CVD by incorporating a good diet and fitness routine into your daily life.
Some of the diet recommendations from the CDC include:
– choose lean meats and poultry without the skin and don’t fry them!
– select fat free or 1% fat dairy products
– cut back on foods high in saturated fat, trans fats and partially hydrogenated oils (actually I say cut out partially hydrogenated oils completely)
– choose foods with little or no salt (unless directed otherwise by a sports dietitian or physician)
– if you drink, do so in moderation
Tomorrow I’ll get into fats, especially partially hydrogenated oils, a bit more.