Eat a heart-healthy diet: "The Mediterranean diet is perfect if you've had a heart attack, [because] it revolves around fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and foods high in fiber, lean meats, poultry and fish once or twice a week," says Darlene Zimmerman, MS, R.D., Heart Smart dietitian at Henry Ford Hospital Heart and Vascular Institute in Detroit.
Fish has omega-3 fatty acids, which help improve blood cholesterol levels and prevent blood clots, while plenty of fruits and vegetables contain fiber and antioxidants. Fiber flushes bad fats from arteries while antioxidants help protect and repair them, reducing the chance you'll have a heart attack.
Cut fat: Your diet should contain no more than 25%-30% calories from fat, says Julie Bolick, R.D., a clinical nutritionist and lipid specialist for the University of Utah's Cardiovascular Genetics Research Center in Salt Lake City.
"Keep saturated fat intake to 7% of your total calories by switching to lean meats, margarine instead of butter and eating low- and fat-free dairy products instead of full-fat versions," she says.
Especially avoid trans fats, which are found in processed foods and fast foods. They raise LDL cholesterol.
Lower dietary cholesterol: When cholesterol accumulates in the walls of your arteries, it causes arteries to narrow, slowing down or blocking blood flow to the heart.
That's why experts advise eating no more than 200 milligrams (mg) of cholesterol daily, Bolick says.
Steer clear of high-cholesterol foods like eggs, organ meats and full-fat dairy products; instead, eat egg substitutes or egg whites, lean meat and low- or nonfat dairy products.
[1]References
- ^ Mediterranean diet (www.lifescript.com)
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