Reduce Your Risk of Heart Disease
Copyrighted information from the American Heart Association Food Certification Program(NAPS)—More than 95 million people are fighting to lower their cholesterol levels. Millions more are hoping to live the good life by simply staying well. Pivotal to the success of both groups is healthy eating and choosing foods low in saturated fat and cholesterol to help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Forty-seven year old Nancy Kleinman, a teacher from St. Paul, Minn., has her foot in both camps. Due to a recent brush with heart disease, she finds herself spending a lot of time researching how she can improve the heart health of her family.
"The American Heart Association's (AHA) heart-check program has been a great tool in that regard," says Kleinman. "It takes hours to read food labels to determine whether or not a certain product is a good choice for our new heart healthy lifestyle. The Association's red and white heart-check mark on a food package is all I need to see to know if a food fits."
According to Kleinman, the diagnosis of heart disease in her family was overwhelming. "I knew there was a lot to learn in terms of changing lifestyle habits, diet was definitely an area for us to focus on. the heart-check mark has saved me time and has given me piece of mind. So many products advertise certain health claims, but the ones that have the ones that have the American Heart Association's checkmark are the most credible. If a product carries the mark, I know it has to be good for my heart, low in saturated fat and cholesterol."
Ms. Kleinman is not alone in her interest to eat more healthfully. Ninety percent of consumers believe eating healthfully plays a key role in disease prevention and 60 percent are choosing foods based on their ability to reduce health risks or manage specific health conditions. The Association's Food Certification Program has been designed to make it easier. By flagging those foods that are low in saturated fat and cholesterol—it does just that.
Eating a diet that contains three servings of low-fat or fat-free dairy foods and seven to nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day has been shown to reduce both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. That cuts the incidence of heart disease by 15 percent and the incidence of stroke by 27 percent.
Other recommended lifestyle changes include: getting physically active (30 to 60 minutes), at least three to four days a week; stopping smoking, or staying away from second-hand smoke; learning CPR; and knowing the warning signs of a heart attack and stroke.
But by simply looking for the heart-check mark on food packages, you're getting on the right track to a heart-healthy diet. To learn more, visit the website at www.americanheart.org or call 1-800-AHA-USA1 and ask for a free copy of the "Shop Smart with Heart" brochure.
