Why take the time to eat heart healthy food?
When you have a diagnosis of heart disease (which is around 50 percent of American adults), one way to have some control over your health is by eating the right heart healthy foods. Three goals of a heart healthy diet are:
Limiting unhealthy fat (keep arteries clear)
Limiting sodium (not increase blood pressure)
Maintaining healthy glucose levels (prevent blood sugar spikes)
Don’t miss the freebie download healthy food list at the end of the post!
How to make eating heart healthy food positive:
I have always hated the idea of “going on a diet”. After attending a lecture on healthy eating during a hospital internship while I was in PT school, my philosophy about healthy food flipped from negative to positive! I decided to make it a lifestyle, not a short term commitment. The dietician at my lecture taught us to focus on eating as many natural healthy items throughout our day as we could. Have you tried to eat 8 servings of fruit and vegetables a day? It is hard!
“A heart healthy eating plan is a great way to flip the script and be positive about food!”
carol phipps
Eating heart healthy food is good medicine.
I love the idea that food is a natural medication for our body. There are many foods that set us up for feeling good, and promote the systems of our body to work well: heart, brain, immune system, digestive system, etc. Food is medicine! However, there are certain foods that can interact with medication, so always research your medication precautions. Much research has been done to discover “heart healthy” foods that improve HDL (good cholesterol), lower LDL (bad cholesterol), limit the plaque build up in arteries, lower blood pressure, and keep our glucose level stable.
The following recipe ideas are combinations of these heart healthy foods that research has found to assist our systems for these benefits. A heart healthy diet is a great way to flip the script and be positive about food! If we set goals to make sure we are eating enough natural healthy foods, the rest will usually fall into place, as the “healthy foods” tend to be full of fiber, and help us to feel full and satisfied.
All of these dishes have links with recipes and nutrition information. They are all made with heart healthy ingredients. <3
Although I am a physical therapist, this blog is for general informational purposes only. Please be sure to follow your own health care team’s advice. See the medical disclaimer.
CHECK OUT THIS RECIPE FOR
I sub out PB fit and water instead of almond butter to reduce the fat content. (affiliate link)
SPINACH SALAD WITH WALNUTS AND STRAWBERRIES
SALMON WITH ONION, GARLIC, PEPPERS AND OLIVE OIL Non GMO Olive Oil that I have loved (affiliate link).
FRESH TOMATOES WITH BEANS, GARLIC, AND OLIVE OIL– 3 grams of fat!
One last thing… If we are going to eat heart healthy, we have to shop heart healthy!
How about flipping the script and using the positive concept of getting as many healthy foods into your daily diet by getting as many healthy foods into your shopping bag as you can? Here is a list of a variety of general consensus heart healthy foods – to print out and use to set goals for positive shopping. Save and print out this form- you can put on your fridge for keeping track of weekly positive eating for improved followthrough!
If you like this FREEBIE checklist, check out this 10 page Senior Care Printable Health Packet on ETSY:
***Clinicians: If you enjoy learning about nutrition and health, consider gaining CEU credits with this awesome course: Food as Medicine, by PESI (affiliate link).
Nutrition is a critical component of the healing process for every patient you treat. Not only will you learn the most current science and evidence-based tools, but also simple lifestyle hacks that lead to lasting behavior change. This comprehensive training is filled with actionable techniques that you can use immediately! Sign up today through my affiliate link to register.
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I would love to hear your comment on what heart healthy foods you typically eat. Do you have any go-to recipes that you love? Are you ready to get your health organized? Subscribe to the blog now, and grab your FREE instant-download health organization packet—plus enjoy a weekly senior health email packed with helpful tips and fun printable wellness freebies.
this is a great list