Prevent the development of heart disease (and all chronic diseases) by changing your dietary habits.
Of all the possible improvements you can make to your diet, limiting saturated fats and cutting out trans fats entirely is perhaps the most important. Both these types of fat raise your LDL, the “bad” cholesterol, which can increase your risk for heart attack and stroke. There are many ways to control the amount of saturated and trans fats you take in.
Here’s some heart healthy diet tips to help you cut out saturated and trans fat:
- Limit solid fat. Reduce the amount of solid fats like butter or margarine you add to food when cooking or serving. Instead of cooking with butter, for example, flavour your dishes with herbs or lemon juice. You can also trim the fat off your meat or choose leaner cuts of meat to limit solid fat.
- Substitute. Swap high-fat foods for their lower-fat counterparts. For example, top your baked potato with salsa or low-fat yogurt rather than butter. Or use low-sugar fruit spread on your toast instead of margarine. When cooking, use liquid oils like canola, olive, safflower, or sunflower, and substitute two egg whites for one whole egg in a recipe.
- Be label-savvy. Check food labels on any prepared foods. Many snacks, even those labelled “reduced fat,” may be made with oils containing trans fats. One clue that a food has some trans fat is the phrase “partially hydrogenated.” And look for hidden fat; refried beans may contain lard, or breakfast cereals may have significant amounts of fat.
- Change your habits. Instead of crisps, snack on fruit or vegetables. Challenge yourself to cook with a limited amount of butter. At restaurants, ask that sauces or dressings be put on the side or left off altogether.
