What to eat for a healthy heart

One of the most important factors for a healthy heart is a healthy diet. We usually recommend a Mediterranean diet, which is mostly based on trying to eat more white meat, such as fish and chicken, instead of red meat, such as beef or pork. This type of diet also focuses on eating more vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, beans, whole grains and olive oil.

Studies have shown that people living in Mediterranean countries, such as Italy and Greece, are less likely to die of heart disease. The World Health Organization recognizes the Mediterranean diet as a healthy eating pattern. Many nutrition experts in the U.S. recommend it, and it is important to follow the diet long term to see heart benefits.

Cutting out trans fats in fried food, frozen pizza and microwave popcorn, and added sugar in soda, sweets and pastries, is also important for your heart health. Switching your snacks, especially before or after exercising, from cookies or chocolates to carrots or broccoli, can help you continue to snack but with beneficial ingredients. Staying hydrated helps your heart pump blood more effectively and benefits your blood vessels and muscles. Drink at least 2 liters of water each day.

Avoiding tobacco and alcohol consumption are important factors to prevent cardiovascular conditions. It has been shown that after just one year of quitting tobacco use, your risk of having a cardiovascular event drops in half in comparison with patients who smoke tobacco. That’s how big the impact of quitting tobacco use is on your heart, and it’s never too late to stop. Alcohol use can trigger difficulty for you to fall asleep, and sleep disorders have been linked to heart disease. Incorporating these healthy habits will make you more likely to have refreshed sleep.

Following diet trends such as making the switch to strictly plant-based or vegan or going gluten- or lactose-free is individual to each person because patients might have an intolerance to this type of food or its components. In general, low-sugar, low-salt and low-carb diets are usually helpful for all patients to stay out of cardiovascular risk.

By maintaining a healthy lifestyle, you can avoid some medical conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol. These conditions increase your risk of having a cardiovascular event such as a heart attack or a stroke.

One of my best tips is to start adjusting your lifestyle little by little but consistently, taking baby steps — even if you adjust just one factor per day or per week, whether that’s trying to cut down on the amount of high sugar, high fat or high salt in your diet. Little by little and with time, those changes will remain and will help you prevent any type of long-term medical condition in the future.

Dr. Juan Cardenas Rosales, specializes in internal medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida.