Heart Healthy Eating

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The heart is a complex organ that beats more than two and a half billion times in an average lifetime. Exercise can improve the condition of your heart by strengthening the heart muscles, improving its function though it does not actually make it grow in size. An enlarged heart, however, is a result of one of a number of conditions such as stress or weakening of the heart muscles.

In the United States, heart disease is the primary cause of death in women and men. According to the American Heart Association, more than 64 million American adults currently suffer from a form of heart disease. Along with exercise, a healthy diet is one of the main ways that you can keep your heart healthy. It can help to strengthen your heart, make it function better and significantly reduce the risk of heart conditions including an enlarged heart.

Nutritional experts recommend switching to a Mediterranean style diet as this has a beneficial effect on insulin resistance and dramatically reduces the risk of heart disease. There is no one specific ‘Mediterranean’ diet. More than 16 countries border the Mediterranean Sea so the diets do vary somewhat between these counties. However there are common characteristics among them.

These are:

• A daily diet rich in fresh vegetables, fruits, cereals, beans, seeds and nuts.
• Daily consumption of oily fish, such as salmon, baked or grilled poultry with small amounts of red meat.
• Olive oil as a monounsaturated replacement for saturated fats.
• Eggs to provide protein up to four times each week.
• Red and white wine consumed in moderate amounts.
 
The Mediterranean diet does not just provide heart health, it also reduces the risk of some forms of cancer, protects against obesity and diabetes, as well as improving digestion. What’s more, with this type of diet it’s easy to stay healthy while still enjoying a wide range of flavorful foods.

Here's to your wellness,

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