What's a heart healthy diet?

The first step in a heart-healthier lifestyle is a heart-healthy diet.  Here are some guidelines to help you plan and personalize your diet:

1.  Calories count.
Being overweight is one of the primary  risk factors for heart disease, so be sure your calorie intake is appropriate to achieve and/or maintain a healthy weight.  See also: How many calories do I need?

2. Eat plenty of fiber.
A high fiber diet will help you control your weight (by controlling your appetite) and also can help you maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Twenty-five grams of fiber per day is the recommended minimum. Ideally, aim for 35-40 grams of fiber per day.

3. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables contain fiber (see #2) but also are rich in antioxidant nutrients that help protect your heart.  Eat at least five servings of colorful vegetables (such as carrots, berries, peppers, and broccoli) to get a minimum of 100% of the daily recommended amounts  of vitamin A, C, K.

4. Folate fuels a healthy heart
Folate is a vitamin found in dark leafy green vegetables that promotes a healthy heart by clearing excess homocysteine from the blood.  The recommended intake is at least 400mcg per day;  800mcg is considered ideal.

5. Emphasize healthy fats.
A heart-healthy diet doesn't necessarily need to be a low-fat diet. A diet rich in monounsaturated fats can help lower cholesterol, blood pressure, and other risk factors. Monounsaturated fats are  olive oil, avocadoes, and nuts such as almonds.  Use these as your primary sources of fat.

6. Watch your sodium
A diet high in sodium can lead to high blood pressure. The USDA recommends limiting your sodium intake to 2300mg per day--but most Americans eat about twice that much. Those with high blood pressure are advised to reduce sodium to 1500mg a day. See also: Tips for reducing sodium.

7. Limit your intake of sweets and refined carbohydrates
Foods that are high in sugar and refined carbohydrates (which includes many low-fat foods!) can create sharp spikes in blood sugar and ultimately increase your risk of both heart disease and diabetes. Choose whole grain foods whenever possible and consume sweets occasionally or not at all.  For a naturally sweet treat, enjoy fresh fruit. (See #3.)

Next Step: Search for foods by nutrient

Related Content: How can I personalize Nutrition Data for my goals?

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Heart Healthy Targets

LDL, HDL, Triglycerides…these numbers contain important information about your risk of heart disease. But the terms can be confusing. 

According to the National Cholesterol Education Program (a program of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) everyone over 20 years old should have a cholesterol screening at least every five years.

Here is a quick overview on the most commonly tracked heart health indicators and the NCEP recommended targets.

Total cholesterol

What is it? Total cholesterol is a combination of LDL, HDL, and other cholesterol molecules. Although not as precise as the other measurements listed below, your total cholesterol number can reveal whether further screening is necessary.

What range should I aim for?  The NCEP considers a total cholesterol of less than 200mg/dL to be ideal.

LDL cholesterol

What is it?  When it comes to cholesterol, LDL is considered the “bad” kind or the type you want to decrease.  This type of cholesterol tends to form a thick plaque within the inner lining of your blood vessels making them less flexible and more difficult for blood to travel through. Atherosclerosis, or a build up of LDL within the vessels, puts you at major risk for a heart attack or stroke.

What range should I aim for? There is no one size fits all range for LDL cholesterol goals.  It depends on what other risk factors you may have. Risk factors for heart disease include age, age, heredity, smoking, sedentary lifestyle, and excessive alcohol use.

In general, if you don’t have heart disease or diabetes and have few other risk factors for heart disease, the NCEP recommends that you aim for an LDL level of less than 160 mg/dL.If you don’t have heart disease or diabetes but have two or more risk factors for heart disease, the NCEP goal for LDL is less than 130 mg/dL.  If you have heart disease or diabetes, the NCEP suggests that you keep your LDL levels less than 100 mg/dL.

HDL cholesterol

What is it?  HDL cholesterol is the “good” type that is protective against cardiovascular diseases.  Scientists believe that HDL carries cholesterol away from your arteries (preventing plaque from forming) and back to your liver where it is removed from the body.

What range should I aim for? The higher your HDL level, the better. According to the NCEP, women should aim for an HDL level of 50 mg/dL or higher and men should shoot for 40 mg/dL or higher.

Triglycerides

What are they? Triglycerides are the most common form of fats in the body. They circulate in the blood and are used for energy or stored in fat tissue if you take in more calories than your body needs.  A diet heavy in refined carbohydrates and alcohol and/or a sedentary lifestyle contribute to high triglycerides.

What range should I aim for? The NCEP recommends that you aim for a level of less than 150 mg/dL or less.

Related Content:
Tips for lowering triglycerides
Ways to promote healthier cholesterol levels

Go to the Heart Health Resource Center

How can ND be personalized for my goals?

On NutritionData, you can customize your display, analysis, and reports to reflect your individual nutritional needs and goals.  Here's how:

1. In the navigation bar at the top of the page, click on Tools and select Preference Settings.

2. If you're not logged in, you'll need to enter your ND username and password.  If you've never registered, click on "register" to create a username and password for your account. 

3. On the preference setting page, you can select which categories of foods will display in your searches on ND. For example, if you don't wish to see food items from fast food restaurants, you can uncheck these boxes. 

4. Further down the page, you can enter in your own IDVs (individual daily values) for calories, fat, carbohydrates, protein, vitamins and minerals. You'll see the government's standard recommendations listed as a reference point. (Any values that you don't change will remain set to the government's values.)

4. Click "save preferences" and you're done.  From now on, when you analyze your total consumption, you'll see how your daily intake compares to your customized values.  (IDV's are only used in the Total Consumption Report. All other portions of this site use standard DV's, in order to report data that's consistent with other sources.)

Next Step: Go to My Preferences

Related Content:
How many calories do I need?
What's a heart healthy diet?

Go to the Heart Health Resource Center

How many calories do I need?

How many calories you should eat depends on your age, size, activity level, and whether or not you need to lose or gain weight.

The first step is to determine how many calories you currently burn over the course of a day, using the Daily Needs Calculator.  Enter your age, sex, height, weight, and lifestyle (sedentary, some what active, etc.). You'll find some tips to help you select the appropriate activity level. There's also a place to enter in any additional exercise you might do.

When you click "calculate," you'll see how many calories you burn over the course of a typical day.

This is your "maintenance' number. That means that if you eat this number of calories each day you will likely maintain your current weight, neither gaining nor losing.

In order to lose weight, you'll need to eat fewer calories. To lose roughly one pound a week, subtract 500 calories (kcal) from your maintenance number.  In this example, that would mean eating about 1800 kcal per day.

To lose about two pounds a week, subtract 1000 kcal from your maintenance number. In this example, that would mean eating about 1300 kcal per day.

Some important things to keep in mind if you are trying to lose weight:

1. This formula is VERY approximate. Don't be surprised if you lose weight little faster than the formula suggests at the very beginning of your weight loss program.   You'll probably also experience times when you lose weight more slowly. Over time, it tends to average out.

2. Eating fewer than 1200 kcal a day for more than a day or two is not recommended without medical supervision.

3. Be patient.  Although quick weight loss may sound desirable, slow, gradual weight loss (1-2 pounds a week) tends to be easier to do (you're not as hungry) and longer-lasting.

4. Increasing your activity and exercise level will increase your "maintenance" number. That means you'll be able to eat more calories and still lose weight.

Next Step: Go to the Daily Needs Calculator

Related Info:  How can Nutrition Data be personalized for your goals?

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What's a healthy weight?

The Daily Needs Calculator can help you determine what a healthy weight is for you. Simply enter your age, current weight, height, and activity level (as shown below) and click "Calculate."

 

The calculator will then display your current BMI (body mass index) as well as a range that corresponds to a healthy weight for someone your age, gender, and size. (See example below.)

If you are small boned, your healthy weight will probably be toward the lower end of the range. If you have a large frame, it might be toward the higher end.  Note: A healthy weight for those who are very muscular (such as competitive athletes or body-builders) may be above the indicated range.

If you have more than twenty pounds to lose

If you have quite a bit of weight to lose, consider setting an interim goal that feels less overwhelming. For example, you might start by resolving to lose ten percent of your weight. 

No matter how overweight you may be, losing just 5 to 10% of your body weight can dramatically reduce the health problems associated with being overweight.  And this initial success can motivate you to set the next goal...and the next.

Next Step:  Go to to the Daily Needs Calculator

Related Info: How many calories should I eat?

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