{"id":3331,"date":"2019-01-27T09:05:55","date_gmt":"2019-01-27T09:05:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=3331"},"modified":"2021-03-24T16:11:22","modified_gmt":"2021-03-24T16:11:22","slug":"16-diet-tips-for-preventing-congestive-heart-failure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/16-diet-tips-for-preventing-congestive-heart-failure\/","title":{"rendered":"16 Diet Tips for Preventing Congestive Heart Failure"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Most people know that their diet plays an important role when it comes to developing heart disease. There are some foods that increase the risk of developing congestive heart failure more than others. Changing your eating habits can be tough, even though you know that what you are eating may not be the best for you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have years of unhealthy eating habits that you are trying to change or you just want to fine-tune your diet to make it more heart-healthy, getting started can be the hardest part. It can also be difficult to know exactly what you should be eating on a heart-healthy diet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you understand what foods you should be eating more of and which ones you should be eating less of, eating a heart-healthy diet can be easy. Here are 8 diet tips to help you prevent congestive heart failure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Portion Size
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One of the most important things that you can do that is actually quite simple is to control your portion sizes. Overloading your plate and eating seconds or eating until you do not feel well can lead to you eating way more calories than you should be and way more than you need. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Portions that are served in restaurants are often much more than what anyone needs. To help you control your portions use a small plate or a bowl. You should eat larger portions of nutrient-rich foods that are low in calories such as fruits and vegetables<\/a>. Refined or processed foods should be kept to a minimum. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make sure that you keep track of the number of portions that you eat and eat the recommended number of servings of each food group based on the diet that you are on. Taking this simple step can go a long way in controlling the amount of food that you are eating and can help you lose weight. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2. Fruits and Vegetables
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When it comes to the health of your heart, fruits and vegetables are going to be your best friends. They are full of many vitamins and minerals that your body needs in order to stay healthy. In addition, fruits and vegetables have a low number of calories <\/a>and are also full of dietary fiber, which is good for your digestive health. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plant-based foods such as fruits and vegetables also contain substances that can help reduce the risk of developing congestive heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Filling up on fruits and vegetables can also help you cut back on other foods that are high in calories such as cheese, meat, and other types of high-fat snack foods. It can be quite easy to add fruits and veggies to your diet. Keep vegetables cut up in your refrigerator to snack on and keep some fruit on the counter to remind you to eat it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. Choose Whole Grains
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Whole grains provide a good source of fiber <\/a>as well as other nutrients that are important for regulating your blood pressure and improving the overall health of the heart. The number of whole grains in your diet can easily be increased by making some simple substitutions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also be a bit adventurous and try some new whole grains such as barley, quinoa, or farro. Some grain products to choose over refined grains include whole grain bread that is 100 percent whole grain or whole wheat, whole wheat flour, high fiber cereals that provide five or more grams of fiber per serving, whole grain pasta, and whole grains such as buckwheat, barley, and brown rice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Steel-cut oatmeal is also a good choice. You should avoid using white flour, eating muffins or white bread, biscuits, doughnuts, frozen waffles, and other highly refined foods such as this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4. Avoid Unhealthy Fats
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It is important to limit the number of trans fats and saturated fats that you eat. Reducing the amount of saturated and trans fat in your diet can help to lower your cholesterol. Lowering your cholesterol <\/a>is an important step in reducing your risk of developing congestive heart failure or coronary artery disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

High cholesterol can cause a buildup of plaque in the arteries. This is called atherosclerosis and it can increase your risk of having a stroke or a heart attack. It is recommended that saturated fats be no more than five percent of your daily calories. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are following a 2000 calorie diet this means that you should not be eating any more than 13 grams of saturated fats per day. Choosing lean meats or trimming the fat from your meat can reduce the amount of saturated fat in your diet. Using less butter or margarine when you cook can help as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5. Choosing Protein Sources
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Lean meat such as fish and poultry, eggs, and low-fat dairy products are some of the best choices when it comes to protein. Make sure that you are choosing the low-fat options such as drinking skim milk over whole milk or skinless chicken breasts over a piece of fried chicken. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fish is a great alternative to high-fat meats. Certain types of fish are high in omega 3 fatty acids<\/a>. These can help to lower triglycerides. Salmon, herring, and mackerel have some of the highest levels of omega 3 fatty acids. Walnuts, flaxseed, canola oil, and soybeans are also good sources of these good fats. Lentils, peas, and beans are great sources of protein as well. They contain less fat and zero cholesterol. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This makes them a great substitute for eating meat. Substituting plant proteins for animal proteins can reduce your cholesterol and fat intake as well as increasing your fiber intake, all of which are important when it comes to your heart health. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6. Reducing Sodium
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One contributor to high blood pressure is sodium. Eating a lot of sodium puts you at risk for cardiovascular disease. One important aspect of a heart-healthy diet is to try to reduce the amount of sodium that you consume. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The goal of a healthy adult is to consume less than 1500 mg of sodium <\/a>per day. Not adding salt to the food that you cook or consume at the table is a good start in reducing your sodium intake. However, most of the sodium that we consume comes from processed and canned foods such as baked goods, frozen dinners, and soups. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Making your own stews and soups and eating fresh foods over canned or processed foods can greatly reduce the amount of salt that you consume each day. If you like having convenient foods such as prepared meals and canned soups on hand, choose the ones that are labeled low sodium. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7. Create Menus
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Once you know the foods that you should be eating on a heart-healthy diet and the foods that you should be avoiding it is time to put a heart-healthy diet plan into action. One of the best ways to make sure that you stick to your heart-healthy diet is to create a menu plan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using the strategies listed, create a meal plan. Do this by choosing foods for each meal with an emphasis on fruits and vegetables<\/a>. Choose lean sources of protein and limit salty foods. Watch the sizes of your portions and make sure that you add some variety to your menu choices to make it easier to stick to it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep vegetables in the fridge to snack on and keep some fruit around as well. Food prep once a week can help you stay on track when you are trying to create a healthier menu. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8. Treat Yourself
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Every once in a while it is important to allow yourself a treat. Some potato chips or a candy bar once a week or so is not going to derail your heart-healthy diet. Just make sure that you do not use these foods as an excuse to give up on eating healthier. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overindulgence should be the exception and not the rule. If you overindulge one day, just make sure to get back to eating right the next day. It all will balance out in the long term. The most important thing that you can do for the health of your heart is to make sure that you are choosing healthy foods the majority of the time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are watching your portions and eating healthy fats, fruits<\/a>, and vegetables, and watching the amount of sodium that you take in, you are well on your way to a heart that is healthy and happy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\r\n

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