Cardiac Diet
For those that have suffered a heart attack or have coronary heart disease, one diet that your doctor may ask you to go on is the Cardiac Diet. The Cardiac Diet is a diet that is based on lowering one’s overall fat, cholesterol and sodium intake. These three substances are usually the culprits that cause coronary heart disease and ultimately cardiac arrest. If you have experienced a heart attack, are diagnosed with coronary heart or would like to do your part to prevent this disease- the Cardiac Diet can have a positive impact on your health.
Key Guidelines of the Cardiac Diet
The Cardiac Diet is focused on lowering cholesterol, reducing fat and sodium. Following are some of the Cardiac Diet’s nutritional guidelines to keep in mind when on the diet:
Reduce Cholesterol
One of the most important guidelines when on the Cardiac Diet is to reduce cholesterol. Try to keep your entire cholesterol for the day to less than 300 mg. Cholesterol is usually found in meats and dairy products such as butter.
Reduce Fat
By reducing fat, you not only can lose weight, but also cut out foods that may help to increase cholesterol. The Cardiac Diet suggests that you keep your daily fat intake to less than 30% of your total calories. For instance, if your diet calls for eating 2100 calories per day, less than 700 calories should be from Fat.
In addition, try to consume mono-unsaturated fats which are found in nuts, olive oil, avocados, etc instead of saturated fat which is usually found in fast food and processed food.
Increase Your Daily Fiber
While you will want to reduce the amount of fat and cholesterol you consume each day, increasing your dietary fiber will help your digestive system work properly and usually increase the amount of vitamins and minerals you consume. Fiber is usually found in vegetables, complex carbohydrates and fruits. An increase of fiber to about 30-35 grams per day should be sufficient.
Reduce Your Daily Salt Intake
Certain individuals may be directed by their doctor to also reduce their sodium (salt) intake. Generally speaking a low sodium diet should consist of about 2,000 to 3,000 mg of salt each day.
As always, before starting the Cardiac Diet (or any other type of diet program), consult with your doctor first.
For more information on the Cardiac Diet please visit Cardiac Diet
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