HEALTHY DIET AN IMPORTANT STEP
TO A HEALTHY HEART
February 5, 2005
By Kristen Cates
A healthy diet should be important to everyone, but
even more so for those with heart disease and heart
failure.
As a registered dietitian at Heartland Regional Medical
Center, Cynthia York-Camden helps with rehabilitation
classes for those who have suffered heart attacks or
have had heart-related surgeries. She said it's important
to teach those patients to start eating healthy or they
might end up back in the hospital.
"That makes it even more important," she
said. "You want to prevent further problems."
Peggy Corley, also a registered dietitian sees patients
every week at St. Joseph's Hospital in Murphysboro that
have all the risk factors for having serious heart problems
-- people who are overweight, don't exercise and often
times have diabetes.
The hardest part to having a heart-healthy diet is
actually starting the diet, she said.
"It's important not to try and make dramatic changes
in one day," she said.
However, she said the overall goal of a healthy diet
is to use no added salts, eat low fat and low cholesterol
foods and decreasing the amount of sweets one eats.
Protein can be acquired through baked and broiled lean
meats, she said. But if someone's a vegetarian much
like herself, Corley said beans, low fat milk and cheese
all contain levels of protein.
The most difficult thing to eliminate from one's diet
is the salt, Corley said.
"Salt is a habit we acquire at a very young age,"
she said.
Add different herbs and seasonings to your food, such
as garlic powder or Mrs. Dash, Corley said.
York-Camden said a healthy diet could include more
salmon, trout and tuna to pick up the omega three fatty
acids, which she said reduce cholesterol and help prevent
blood clotting.
But for those who aren't fish fans, she said the same
fatty acids come from walnuts, broccoli and spinach.
York-Camden recommends a dinner plate that is half-filled
with vegetables, a serving of protein the size of the
palm of your hand and a complex starch (such as whole
grain bread or a small baked or sweet potato).
But don't worry, York-Camden said dessert can still
be on the menu, it should just be a smaller portion.
"You can have a piece of pie, but a smaller piece
of pie," she said.
These diets can be hard to adhere to, but are necessary,
both dietitians said.
For those on a tight budget, York-Camden said eating
healthy doesn't put an added burden on the wallet, because
it's more about cooking things from scratch.
When purchasing fruits and vegetables, choose those
that are in season, she said. Coupons also help cut
costs down.
Corley said it doesn't have to be complicated to cook
for a heart healthy diet, simple meals like grilled
chicken and lean beef can keep someone on the right
track.
"It's kind of back to basics," she said.
Source:www.thesouthern.com
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