It is better you start with a heart disease diet irrespective of your heart condition immediately as any such starting, however late it may be, will certainly be beneficial than not following any diet at all. A regular exercise and a right eating habit will go a long way in giving you a healthy heart and adding few more years of life to you.
Heart disease, which is otherwise also called as coronary artery disease, is known to affect arteries that carries blood from heart to various parts of your body including your heart.
Due to various reasons, a fatty plaque will get formed over the inner walls of these arteries and that will result in a block or slow down of blood flow.
Formation of such plaque is directly related to the food you eat and hence a proper heart disease diet can help you to avoid such situation and reduce your risks of getting heart disease.
Due to plaque build up inside your arteries, the amount of blood flow will get affected and the amount of blood supplied to various parts of your body including your heart will get reduced drastically. This will result in high blood pressure, which has again got a cyclic effect on your heart. Presence of LDL or the bad cholesterol and a high blood pressure is a sure sigh of heart disease in a person.
However, the effect of bad cholesterol can be countered with an increase in good cholesterol namely HDL and this could be achieved through a heart disease diet.
High-density lipoprotein or the commonly referred good cholesterol is good for body as it helps in dissolving or preventing plaque deposits inside your arteries. The LDL cholesterol, which is responsible for plaque formation, can effectively be kept under check through a good heart disease diet and you can indirectly reduce your risks of contracting heart disease.
Harmful Effects of Fully Saturated Fat
Food sources derived from animal products such as meat, cheese, whole milk, eggs, and poultry contain saturated fats that are capable of increasing the bad cholesterol namely LDL in your blood and hence you should note to eliminate these food item from your heart disease diet. You should include more of whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, cereals and other foods that doesn t contain any cholesterol for staying healthy.
There are certain food items other than from animal sources that contain a specific fat namely trans fat with which your body can create bad cholesterol on its own.
Processed food items and hydrogenated oils are the few examples that are rich in such trans fat and hence you should avoid these items in your planned heart disease diet. Alternatively, you can use oils such as olive oil and canola oil that doesn t contain any harmful forms of fat.
Deep-fried items such as French fries and doughnuts are classic examples of foods that are very high in trans-fatty acid content and proved to be very dangerous as far as your heart in concerned. With regard to butter and margarine, the debate about its detrimental aspects is still going on and it is preferable for you to follow moderation in consumption of such items in your planned heart disease diet.