Maintaining a Healthy Weight to Prevent a Heart Attack
If you are overweight, losing weight can help you prevent a
heart attack. Carrying extra weight puts additional strain on your heart. Also, as people gain weight, their
blood pressure and
cholesterol tends to rise. Losing weight can make
high blood pressure and cholesterol drop back down.
Your healthcare providers can help you select a diet and exercise program that's right for you and your weight-loss goals. To lose weight, a low-fat, low-cholesterol, and low-salt diet is usually recommended, along with an exercise program.
Following a Heart-Healthy Diet to Prevent a Heart Attack
To help prevent a heart attack, you should follow a heart-healthy diet. A heart-healthy diet is a diet that's low in fat, cholesterol, and salt, and high in fruits, vegetables, grains, and fiber. It doesn't mean that you can never have pizza or ice cream again. Experts point out that a heart-healthy diet should be the routine. That way, when you have high-fat food every now and then, you're still on track. Making a high-fat diet the routine is asking for trouble.
Remember that a heart-healthy diet is fine for the whole family, including children from the age of 2 to 4 and up. Children under 2 years of age should NOT follow the heart-healthy diet -- they need more fat to provide enough calories for growth and development.
A heart-healthy diet includes the following:
- 8 to 10 percent of the day's total calories coming from saturated fat.
- 30 percent or less of the day's total calories coming from fat.
- Daily intake of less than 300 milligrams of dietary cholesterol.
- Daily intake of less than 2,400 milligrams of sodium.
- Just enough calories to achieve or maintain a healthy weight and reduce your blood cholesterol level. Ask your doctor or registered dietitian to recommend a reasonable calorie level for you.
Controlling Blood Pressure to Prevent a Heart Attack
Your heart moves blood through your body. If it is hard for your heart to do this, it works harder, and your blood pressure will rise. People with high blood pressure often have no symptoms, so have your blood pressure checked every one to two years. If you have high blood pressure, your doctor may suggest that you make some lifestyle changes, such as eating less salt
(see DASH Diet) and exercising more. Your doctor may also prescribe
blood pressure medicine to help
lower blood pressure.
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