A diet to improve your heart health

For maximum heart health, you have to eat a balanced diet. But what does that actually mean? "Try a diet low in saturated fat and high in fiber," Lisa R. Young, PhD, RD, an associate professor in the department recommends for nutrition, food safety and public health studies at New York University. Here's how to create such a diet.

Get plenty of fiber

Fiber can help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of diabetes (a risk factor for heart disease) and certain types of cancer. "We recommend about 25 grams of fiber per day for men a bit more. It is based on your weight, "says Young. "Most Americans eat much less. If you follow a good diet, you will get enough of it, but so many of us do not. "

The best way to include fiber in your diet, a variety of whole grains and a mixture of fruit and vegetables to eat both soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber helps clear cholesterol from the blood. Good sources of soluble fiber include oats, barley, dried beans and peas; insoluble fiber found in vegetables such as carrots and Brussels sprouts, and whole grain bread.

The Role of Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates should be 50 to 60 percent of your diet. In addition to fresh fruits and vegetables, you get your carbohydrates from legumes, whole grain bread and pasta, and brown rice. Carbohydrates from these sources as well, because it gives you nutrients, vitamins and fiber, in addition to the calories.

However, Jung explains that carbohydrates are often vehicles for saturated fats like butter, sour cream, cream cheese, and dips and spreads. This is not goodNews, because saturated fat increases LDL or "bad" cholesterol. So you want to see what you put on your carbs and eat as much of it.

Eat the right carbs and the right fats. While too much LDL cholesterol is bad news, all the fat is replaced with carbohydrates in the diet is not the answer. "A diet too high in carbohydrates and fats to reduce to the low HDL cholesterol," says Young. The HDL-cholesterol, found in some good (non-saturated) fat is actually good for the heart.

Understand the role of triglycerides. Fruits and vegetables contain carbohydrates and nutrients that your body needs packed. Made other simple carbohydrates such as bread, cakes and biscuits made from white refined flour have less nutritional value. After we eat, our bodies turn carbohydrates, fats and protein into triglycerides, the chemical that use our cells to make us energy. We need something triglycerides, stir us all day. But too much of this chemical has been found to increase the risk of heart disease. "It depends on the type of carbohydrate," says Young. "White bread, for example, increased triglyceride levels."

Vitamins for the Heart

While many people swear by vitamins and minerals, there is not much evidence to the idea that a particular vitamin is good for the heart to help. "There was a lot of discussion about vitamin E, and it did not really pan out," says Young, "and folate, B 6, B-12 - not these vitamins did not worked."

"As they say, there are no quick fixes and no miracle," Young added. Most of us can get all the nutrients that need our heart, from a balanced diet - full of fresh fruit, vegetables and whole

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