| According the CDC, 631,636 people died from heart | | | | oils should be avoided. |
| attack in 2006. Heart attack is still the leading cause of | | | | 3. Decrease your risk of heart disease by 38% be |
| death in the United States. With statistics like these, | | | | switching to whole wheat and whole grain products. |
| you probably know someone who either has heart | | | | This will increase your fiber content and can decrease |
| disease or has died from heart disease. | | | | your LDL cholesterol levels by 5%. Increasing fiber |
| Heart disease (cardiovascular disease) includes such | | | | content in your food by switching to whole wheat |
| conditions of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and | | | | (enriched grains do not have the fiber or nutrient |
| coronary artery disease that you probably know a lot | | | | content you need) can also help prevent colon cancer. |
| of information about due to the high prevalence. While | | | | 4. Switch to fat-free dairy and decrease your LDL |
| heart disease has genetic factors that can contribute | | | | cholesterol levels. Consuming dairy products that |
| to its development, the biggest risk factors that you | | | | contain fat can dramatically increase your heart |
| should be aware of have to do with modifiable risk | | | | disease risk. Be sure to choose fat-free milk, cheese, |
| factors related to your lifestyle. | | | | yogurt, etc to help decrease your risk. |
| So what can you do to decrease your risk of | | | | 5. Increase antioxidants which are found in fruit and red |
| developing heart disease? | | | | wine. Antioxidants can increase HDL cholesterol levels |
| 1. Increase consumption of lean meats such as chicken, | | | | and decrease LDL cholesterol levels. If you want to |
| fish, and turkey while decreasing the amount of red | | | | get the health benefits from red wine, men should limit |
| meats such as beef. This will help you decrease your | | | | their intake to 2 glasses a day and women to 1 glass |
| LDL cholesterol levels ("lousy cholesterol") and increase | | | | per day. |
| your HDL cholesterol levels ("healthy cholesterol"). | | | | By incorporating these 5 simple strategies into your |
| Cholesterol is the fatty deposits that collect in your | | | | daily food routine, you can dramatically decrease your |
| arteries leading to heart attack and stroke. | | | | heart disease risk. Make sure you also control your |
| 2. Decrease consumption of hydrogenated oils which | | | | weight and get some physical activity on a daily basis |
| are otherwise known as trans fat. Recently most | | | | to decrease your risk even more! |
| manufacturers have decreased their trans fats in their | | | | Remember that plant foods such as fruits and |
| packaged foods but they can still list trans fat amount | | | | vegetables do not contain cholesterol, but contain |
| as zero if they have less than 1 g of trans fat. Read | | | | many vitamins and nutrients that are essential for heart |
| your food labels and anything mentioning hydrogenated | | | | health. |