A healthy diet is one of the pillars of cardiovascular prevention and can help reduce risk factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood, weight, and type 2 diabetes. A varied and balanced diet alone is proven to limit the onset of many diseases and this especially true when associated with another pillar of prevention, which is physical activity.
According to the experts of SIPREC, the Italian Society for Cardiovascular Prevention, we still eat too much, and we eat poorly.
“Food,” explains Dr. Anna Villarini, nutritionist biologist, adjunct professor at the University of Milan and researcher at the National Cancer Institute of Milan, “Can represent an extra defense to protect us, but it can also do damage. Simply eating too much (large meals are unfortunately a common element in Italian and American cultures) causes weight gain, especially in the abdomen (visceral fat), and produces substances with inflammatory properties that enter the bloodstream and become a root cause for the onset of cardiovascular diseases.”
Here are the good habits and healthy behaviors to adopt according to the Experts of the Heart Project of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità.
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- Watch out for labels. Prevention starts here! Knowing which foods are your friends and which are your enemies is only the first step toward better health because often, in the busyness of life, we resort to packaged products that contain hidden ingredients excess salt, processed sugars, saturated fats and trans fats). This is why reading food labels carefully it is a good habit to learn.
- Among the friendly foods, choose one rich in antioxidants, fiber and omega-3. “Eat fruit (no more than one serving per meal if you are diabetic) and especially seasonal vegetables,” says Dr. Villarini, “This helps cardiovascular health because it provides antioxidant substances and fiber. Fiber, in addition to inducing a sense of satiety, reduces the absorption of saturated fats and cholesterol and this is already a positive element. Antioxidants counteract the effects of oxidizing substances that damage arteries, tissues and heart. Even nuts, such as walnuts, rich in omega-3s, in small quantities (they are very caloric, so you should not exceed 30 g per day) can become part of a heart-friendly diet.
- Eat more legumes, such as lentils, beans, peas, chickpeas, and broad beans. Legumes are a valuable source of noble proteins and are fat-free, so they can replace meat.
- Consume less meat and more oily fish. On the protein side, it is advisable to reduce the consumption of meat and instead increase consumption of fish (2-3 times a week), especially fatty, rich in omega-3 with anti-inflammatory and protective action for the heart and arteries. Dr. Villarini explains, “The consumption of shellfish, rich in cholesterol, should be limited to once a week, but should not be demonized because they are still healthier than the saturated fats contained in the cheeses we consume on a daily basis, even in the form of grated parmesan cheese on pasta.”
- Favor lean meats, such as skinless chicken and turkey, veal, and rabbit, and limit the consumption of red and fatty meats such as pork, goose, duck. It is a good idea to eliminate visible fat and avoid collecting cooking fat. Among the cooking methods, grilling (without burning the meat which creates carcinogens) or steaming are preferable.
- Salt and simple sugars: the fewer, the better. It is now known to all that salt is one of those condiments that can increase the risk of high blood pressure, especially in the elderly, and hypertension, which is often associated with diabetes and/or obesity, an important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Despite this, we consume a lot of salty foods every day (cheeses, cold cuts, canned foods) and we use too much salt as a condiment. This excess makes it salt an element of our diets that can be very damaging over time. We also consume too many processed sugars and not just in candies and sweets. Soft drinks and packaged juices contain high levels of sugar so both European and American cardiology organizations advise against the consumption of sugary drinks. But sugar is also ‘hidden’ in many foods. High levels of sugar can be found in ketchup, store-bought seafood salads and in many salty industrial foods, without realizing it. Try to develop a habit reading food labels carefully, especially the list of ingredients.
- Limit the consumption of sausages, such as sausages, salami, and mortadella. Choose instead lean cold cuts, such as ham, speck, and bresaola, but remember, these also have a high salt content.
- Limit the consumption of cheeses, preferring fresh low-fat ones (cholesterol and triglycerides). Cheeses should not be eaten at the end of a meal but considered as a substitute for meat and fish.
- Favor whole grains: Research shows that a balanced diet which includes regular consumption of whole grain foods can helps maintain body weight and reduces the risk of the onset of heart and metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension and some forms of cancer by 20-30% compared to those who consume fewer portions of whole grains.
- About extra virgin olive oil and other vegetable fats. As far as fats are concerned, it’s important to ditch the distinction between ‘vegetable-good’ fats and ‘animal-bad’ fats. According to SIPREC experts, extra virgin olive oil contains heart-friendly oleic acid, an unsaturated fat (the label must read ‘extra virgin‘ and not ‘olive oil’. A diet of extra virgin olive oil that does not exceed 30 grams per day, can help protect your heart and arteries and will not lead to weight gain.
- Vegetable fats are generally good, unless they are ‘processed‘, that is, extracted with solvents and then refined to eliminate traces of solvents, as with palm oil and other vegetable oils. When processed, these fats, despite being derived from vegetable sources, become ‘bad‘, to the point of being identified as one of the main cardiovascular risk factors related to fat consumption. During refining normally healthy fats are transformed to trans fats which are particularly dangerous for the arteries and heart.
- Reduce the consumption of sweets, especially processed ones, as they are rich in fats and simple sugars. Prefer homemade or artisanal desserts and only in moderate quantities.
- Limit the consumption of sugary and/or alcoholic beverages and try natural fruit juices instead. If you do drink alcoholic beverages, limit consumption to 1-2 glasses of wine per day. Remember that alcohol increases blood pressure and damages the liver. Therefore, it is not recommended in people with high blood pressure. In addition, it can interfere with medications and can cause side effects.
References
The Heart Project of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità
SIPREC, Italian Society for Cardiovascular Prevention, 19th Congress
Umberto Veronesi – The book of health. Umberto Veronesi Foundation, RCS Media Group, 2012
LINK
modifiable cardiovascular factors