Heart healthy diet

We know that there is a certain percentage of the population at higher risk for heart disease than the general population due to genetics, diet, lifestyle, age and stress. But this does not mean that the risk cannot be reduced. If you have suffered a heart attack, or if you are considered at risk for a heart attack, modifications to your diet can make a significant difference to your health and longevity. Important dietary measures include:

• Ensuring you are getting enough fiber. The most beneficial type of fiber to help decrease the risk of heart attack comes from whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
  
• Eating lots of foods that are rich in vitamin B6, B12 and folic acid, which help to keep homocysteine levels under control. These two vitamins are found in leafy green vegetables and fruits. Folic acid can be found in some breakfast cereals, asparagus, spinach, chickpeas, and beans.

• Including almonds, brewer’s yeast, grains, and sesame seeds in your diet. (Be sure you are not allergic to brewer’s yeast. If you are not sure, start with a small amount and discontinue if it does not agree with you.)

• Eating onions frequently, especially red ones. They contain valuable antioxidants.

• Including kelp and sea vegetables in the diet for necessary minerals.

• Drinking fresh vegetable juices.
  
• Avoiding eat red meat. Too much red meat can elevate homocysteine levels. Eat soy-based protein instead to help lower high LDL cholesterol.

• Avoiding salt, sugar and white flour. Refined sugars produce adverse reactions in all cells causing wide fluctuations in blood sugar.

• Eliminating fried foods, coffee, black tea, colas, and other stimulants from the diet.

• Limiting alcohol. In moderation, alcohol may be heart healthy, but excessive alcohol use has an adverse effect on the heart.

• Sipping barley water (not beer!) throughout the day for its healing and fortifying properties. These include improving regularity, lowering cholesterol and providing intestinal protection. Barley water is easy to make yourself with barley, water, lemon, honey, cinnamon and ginger.

• Eating a daily serving of whole grains such as barley is recommended especially for postmenopausal women with high cholesterol, high blood pressure or other signs of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
  
• Eating an ounce of walnuts a day may reduce the risk of heart attack by 8-10 per cent.
  
• Taking sufficient amounts of the omega-3 fatty acids (DHA) and (EPA).
  
• Carnitine, coenzyme Q10, fish oil, magnesium, and antioxidants for the prevention of cardiac arrhythmia, heart attack, and angina.

If you think you may be having a heart attack, do not waste any time seeking medical assistance. Any delay in obtaining help can result in greater damage to the heart. Dietary and nutritional recommendations are for the purpose of prevention, or to support recovery from, a heart attack. Dietary and lifestyle recommendations can mean the difference between a life threatening incident and living a long and healthy life.