How to REALISTICALLY Follow a Heart Healthy Diet
This blog post will give you three simple baby steps, on how to realistically follow a heart healthy diet. Keep reading to see how easy these steps are and that virtually anybody can follow them.
Below are a few pointers to address before we get into the baby steps:
Your Taste Buds Can Change
As you get started on your journey to follow a heart healthy diet, understand that your body is incredible. More specifically, realize that your taste buds are able to change and get used to a less salty taste. You actually will even start to prefer less salty foods.
The Truth About “Super Foods”
Do not believe the hype that you can eat certain foods to instantly lower your blood pressure or cholesterol levels. The only way that these foods will improve your heart health is to consume these foods over a long period of time. I talk about this in a previous blog post.
3 Baby Steps to Follow a Heart Healthy Diet
Here are the three realistic baby steps that anyone can do to follow a heart healthy diet:
- Add salt after you finish cooking
- Yes, you read that right. You can add salt to your food, but try to do it AFTER you finish cooking. We tend to add less salt to our foods when they are finished cooking because the salty taste is stronger.
- Replace one canned item with a fresh or frozen item
- Canned savory foods are very useful and practical. They are typically pre-cut. They require little to no preparation. However, most people know that canned foods contain a lot of salt. Fresh and frozen produce contain no added salt. During your weekly grocery runs, try to swap out a typical can of produce that you normally purchase in exchange for fresh or frozen produce. Don’t worry, fresh produce doesn’t have to be expensive, especially if you buy in-season. Here is a great resource that provides a list of in-season produce.
- Add fruits and/or vegetables when eating salty meals
- Whether it’s pizza night with your family or you decide to pop a TV dinner in the microwave because you are exhausted from a double shift, in this case you can have your cake and eat it too. Add fresh pineapples slices to your pizza. Add carrots and dip on the side to yourTV dinner. By adding these nutritious foods, you are balancing your meal.
DISCLAIMER: I am a medical professional, but I am not apart of your healthcare team. Always consult with your primary care physician or other medical professional of your healthcare team when making changes your your diet or lifestyle.
Comment Below!
Comment below if you have tried any of these steps. Let others in the community know how it helped you.
