Managing Heart Disease with the Cardiac Diet

According to Medical News Today, the cardiac diet emphasizes vegetables, whole grains, and oily fish, noting that these foods are beneficial for heart health. The diet also limits processed foods high in sugar and salt, as these increase the risk of heart disease.

Salt can be found in many foods and most sodas and is often more abundant in diet sodas. Adding extra salt to foods that already contain them is problematic. Sugar also seems to be an issue as most American's eat an unhealthy amount of sweetened foods. Understanding what too much of these substances do to the body is critical in cardiac diet compliance. Consuming excess salt causes the body to retain water, leading to excess fluid build-up in the body. The excess fluid causes an elevation in blood pressure which puts strain on blood vessels and increases the workload on the heart and kidneys. Likewise, consuming extra sugar also raises blood pressure and causes the blood vessels to become inflamed, leading to heart attacks, stroke, and heart disease. As the cardiac diet recommends, eliminating excess salt and sugar reduces blood pressure, which alleviates the workload on the heart.

In addition, it is recommended to avoid red meat, processed foods, as these usually have added salt and sugar, refined carbohydrates, and alcohol.

The American Heart Association recommends adding vegetables and color to your plate- and your life. Suggestions for doing this include shredding different vegetables and adding them to dinner recipes and even muffins! Replacing half of the ground beef in hamburgers with finely chopped mushrooms is a great way to add veggies and eliminate fat. Smoothies are a great way to add veggies to your diet as well. Adding color to your plate can add years to your life.

Omega 3 fatty acids found in fish have an anti-inflammatory effect and are great for the heart. Medical News Today lists the following fish as high in Omega 3's: salmon, mackerel, herring, lake trout, sardines, and albacore tuna. Whole grains, nuts, and low-fat dairy are also excellent choices for heart health.

Making abrupt changes to diet plans is difficult for most people, but it is beneficial to overall heart health. Adding salt-free herbs and spices to flavor foods may help eliminate the need for added salt. Using a food journal or enlisting the help of a family member or friend are tools for sticking with it. Making small gradual changes to diet plans instead of changing eating habits all at once will help with long-term compliance.

Eating Well is an excellent source for heart-healthy recipes. Give this one a try.

Miso-Maple Salmon

2 lemons

2 limes

1/4 cup white miso

2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbs maple syrup

1/4 tsp ground pepper

pinch of cayenne pepper

1 (2 1/2 lb) skin-on salmon fillet

sliced scallions for garnish

Directions

Position rack in the upper third of oven; preheat broiler to high. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.

Juice 1 lemon and 1 lime into a small bowl. Whisk miso, oil, maple syrup, pepper, and cayenne. Place salmon, skin-side down, on the prepared pan and spread the miso mixture on top. Halve the remaining lemon and line and arrange around the salmon, cut-sides up.

Broil the salmon just until it flakes with a fork, 7 to 12 minutes. Serve with the lemon and lime halves and sprinkle with scallions, if desired.