Have a heart-healthy diet

Karla Walsh
February 7, 2007

Any minute now your date is arriving for the dinner you promised to make. You want to show him or her how much you care, but can’t decide what to cook. A true way to display your love would be cooking something that will ensure they will be around for a long time.

Since February is American Heart Month, cooking with heart-healthy foods can be a true display of your affection. Researchers have been studying heart-healthy diets since heart disease has been identified as a common killer.

“The sooner you can develop heart-healthy eating habits, the better since heart disease is the number one killer of both American men and women,” said Sally Barclay, dietitian at the Nutrition Clinic for Employee Wellness.

Heart disease affects individuals of older age more than college students, but prevention plays a large role in development later in life.

“The process of laying down cholesterol and occlusion of the vessels begins in late childhood and early adolescence. The American Heart Association suggests beginning a heart-healthy diet after age two,” Barclay said.

Christine Komjathy, junior in dietetics, eats mainly a raw diet, consisting of fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, whole grains and a couple of servings of fish or chicken each week. She gradually changed her diet over three years, cutting out fast food, white flour and processed and packaged food. Komjathy avoids yeast and dairy and eats a variety of fruits, vegetables and other nutrient-dense foods.

Komjathy notices fewer health problems now, including fewer upset stomachs, which she attributes to her changed diet. She expects fewer health issues in the future because of her healthy eating too.

“I am not concerned about heart disease because I know I am preventing it through diet,” Komjathy said.

Staci Nigliazzo, cardiac dietitian at the West Des Moines branch of the Iowa Heart Center, said many Americans eat a diet that would predispose them to developing heart disease. She noted that meats and cheeses are consumed too often, and fruits and vegetables should be consumed more.

“Fruits and vegetables are low in calories and fat, but are filling since they have fiber,” Nigliazzo said.

Some have turned to a vegetarian lifestyle in attempts to avoid heart disease. Many cases of heart disease are caused by high cholesterol, which is only found in animal products.

Rebecca Burch, sophomore in biology, said she is a lacto-ovo vegetarian, which means she eats no meat or seafood, but does eat eggs and dairy.

“Heart disease is caused by a buildup of cholesterol and saturated fat in your arteries. To put it simply, meat is very high in both substances, so meat consumption substantially raises your risk,” Burch said.

Heart disease later in life can be prevented now. Proper diet and exercise in young adulthood can start you on a healthy path.

Want more?

Barclay and Nigliazzo have suggested the following tips for college students to improve heart health. These recommendations will decrease blood pressure and bad cholesterol levels:

1. Eat a high-fiber breakfast: Try oatmeal or high-fiber cereal with fruit and skim milk.

2. Strive for at least five fruits and vegetables each day. Seven to nine is even better.

3. Eat less than 65 grams of fat each day. Aim for healthy fats such as olive oil and canola oil, rather than lard, margarine and butter.

4. Drink in moderation. Alcohol in excess can increase blood pressure, weight and blood triglycerides – blood fats.

5. Limit sodium intake. High levels of sodium can raise blood pressure.

Top foods for heart health

1. Soy: It’s low in fat, high in fiber and often replaces high-cholesterol foods like red meat. Soy products may lower LDL cholesterol, which is the bad cholesterol. Good examples include soy milk, tofu, soy nuts and soy protein used in meat substitutes.

2. Walnuts: Walnuts are high in omega-3 fatty acid, which lowers cholesterol. Nigliazzo stresses that nuts should be eaten in small doses, since they are calorie-dense. Omega-3 fatty acids seem to decrease heart arrhythmias, decrease blood triglyceride levels, slow the growth of plaque development in the arteries and decrease blood pressure. Other foods with omega-3 fatty acid are fatty fish such as salmon, canola oil and flax seeds.

3. Blueberries: Rich in antioxidants, high in fiber and low in calories, blueberries have multiple benefits for the heart. Antioxidants prevent oxidation of LDL cholesterol and plaque buildup in blood vessels. Antioxidants are also found at high levels in broccoli, dark leafy greens, beans, nuts, whole grains, red wine and dark chocolate.

4. Oatmeal: Oatmeal is low in fat and sodium, and the high levels of soluble fiber decrease LDL cholesterol. Soluble fiber helps with blood sugar stabilization. Soluble fiber is also found in oat bran, legumes, barley, citrus fruits and apples.

5. Spinach: Spinach is a nutritional powerhouse. It is low in calories and high in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and folate. Studies have found that low folate intakes may lower HDL cholesterol, which is the good kind of cholesterol. Other foods that include folate or folic acid are turnip greens, dry beans and peas, fortified cereals and grains and other fruits and vegetables.