You have a very loyal friend that you may be taking for granted. This friend works tirelessly for you, 24/7, never stopping to take a break, in order to make sure your body has everything it needs to be healthy and happy. This friend is your heart! The heart, our body’s powerhouse, tirelessly pumps blood, delivering essential nutrients and oxygen to every cell in the body. Understanding some basics of how to optimize your nutrition for heart health can go a long way in giving that loyal friend a boost of support, and living a long, healthy life.

Our hearts are amazing, muscular organs.  But they do have vulnerabilities. Cardiovascular diseases, such as coronary artery disease, heart attacks, and strokes, are among the leading causes of death globally. Several risk factors contribute to these conditions, including high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels, obesity, diabetes, consuming alcohol, and smoking. While genetics do play a role in one’s predisposition to developing a heart related illness, lifestyle choices and behaviors, with nutrition being the most important, can make a significant difference in how your body will fare. According to leading medical experts, ninety percent of the nearly 18 million heart disease cases worldwide could be prevented by people adopting healthier eating, exercise, and other lifestyle habits.

Nutrition for Heart Health, an Introduction

Before I dive into nutrition for heart health, I want to make clear that adopting heart healthy eating habits does not have to mean turning your life upside down, or giving up your favorite foods. By simply augmenting your choices to include 1) fewer foods that harm your heart, and 2) more foods that support your heart, you can begin to make a meaningful difference in not only the health of your heart, but also your overall long-term health. A balanced diet rich in nutrient-dense foods can help manage risk factors, lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, reduce inflammation, and maintain a healthy weight and body composition. Conversely, diets high in saturated and trans fats, sodium, refined sugars, and processed foods can increase the likelihood of developing heart disease. So it really just comes down to doing what you can to design meals that take these factors into consideration.

Key Components of Nutrition for Heart Health

Just to nerd out a little, here are some key nutrients that can support heart health. This is not an exhaustive list:

• Omega-3 fatty acids: Found in fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, and sardines, as well as flaxseeds, chia seeds, and walnuts, omega-3s are renowned for their heart-protective properties. They help lower triglycerides, reduce inflammation, and support overall cardiovascular function.
• Fiber: Fiber-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, and legumes aid in lowering cholesterol levels, promoting satiety, and regulating blood sugar, all of which contribute to heart health.
• Antioxidants: Colorful fruits and vegetables, such as berries, tomatoes, spinach, and kale, are packed with antioxidants like vitamins C and E, which help combat oxidative stress and inflammation, protecting the heart from damage.
• Potassium: Potassium-rich foods like bananas, sweet potatoes, spinach, and avocado help regulate blood pressure by counteracting the effects of sodium and promoting electrolyte and fluid balance.
• Magnesium: Found in nuts, seeds, leafy greens, and whole grains, magnesium supports muscle and nerve function, including the heart’s rhythm, and helps maintain blood pressure levels within a healthy range.

Putting Nutrition for Heart Health Into Practice

It’s easy to find lists of all the things you’re “supposed to be doing” in order to support a healthier heart. But what you can actually put into practice is what matters. Here is a list of some practical tips:

• Embrace a Whole Food, Plant-Based Diet: Numerous studies have shown that plant-based diets are associated with a lower risk of heart disease. Eating a whole food, plant based diet does not have to mean “going vegan.” To me and the majority of my clients, it simply means making sure that fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds are making up the majority of your total food intake. These foods are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that promote heart health. Aim to fill your plate with a variety of colorful plant foods to ensure a diverse array of nutrients. If you do decide that a ‘vegan’ lifestyle is a fit for you, that’s great! But keep in mind that a vegan diet can be dominated by processed foods that can contribute to poor heart health. So regardless of whatever diet or lifestyle you wish to pursue, make sure that whole, unprocessed foods are present in most of your meals.
• Prioritize Healthy Fats: Not all fats are created equal. While saturated and trans fats can raise cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease, unsaturated fats have the opposite effect. Incorporate sources of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats such as olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish like salmon and mackerel into your diet. These fats can help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and reduce inflammation in the body.
• Be Mindful of Sodium Intake: Whereas sodium is an essential, naturally occurring mineral and electrolyte found in foods, excessive sodium intake can elevate blood pressure, putting strain on the heart and increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke. What happens is that when we consume too many processed, packaged foods, our electrolytes become unbalanced from the overconsumption of sodium chloride. So, simply being mindful of your sodium consumption by reducing the amount of processed and packaged foods in your diet can make a difference.
• Include Heart-Healthy Proteins: Protein is an essential macronutrient that plays a role in maintaining muscle mass and supporting overall health and your body’s complex functionality. However, some protein sources are better than others when it comes to nutrition for heart health. Consuming too many proteins high in saturated fat like red meat, and process meats has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease. Choosing lean sources of protein such as poultry, fish, legumes, and tofu will give you the essential protein needed to build muscle while also lowering your risk. Additionally, the metabolism of protein has a thermic effect, so being smart about how you consume protein can actually help you body burn fat storage, bringing your overall cardiovascular risk down! How cool is that?
• Moderate Alcohol Consumption: Excessive drinking can have detrimental effects on cardiovascular health. If you choose to drink alcohol, do so in moderation, aiming for no more than one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men. You might like to read my blog article about alcohol consumption and health to learn more about this.
• Stay Hydrated: Proper hydration is essential for cardiovascular health. Water helps maintain blood volume, regulates blood pressure, and supports the function of vital organs, including the heart. Aim to drink plenty of water throughout the day and limit the consumption of sugary beverages and excessive caffeine, which can have adverse effects on heart health. The current generally recognized baseline for water consumption is your current weight in pounds, divided by two, in ounces. For example, if you weight 150 pounds,  you would start by drinking 75 ounces of water per day, and then observe your body for feedback and adjust accordingly. Energy expenditure, climate, and other factors will have an impact on how much water your individual body needs.
• Be Mindful of Portions: In addition to choosing nutrient-dense foods, paying attention to portion sizes can be very helpful for maintaining a healthy weight and body composition. Overeating can lead to weight gain, obesity, and an increased risk of cardiovascular problems. So, keeping your body composition balanced (meaning a healthy balance of skeletal muscle mass to stored fat mass)  can help in preventing heart disease. Practice mindful eating, listen to your body’s hunger and fullness cues, and aim to eat until you’re satisfied, not stuffed.

Making it Work in Your Day to Day Life

To simplify things even further, here are some quick questions you can ask yourself whenever you are trying to put together a heart healthy meal:

• Do I see whole, intact foods on my plate? 
• Is there a variety of colorful vegetables and or fruit on my plate? 
• Does the protein have visible fat attached to the meat, or not? 
• Is this a portion of food that I can enjoy to “80% full” without overeating or feeling stuffed? 

The truth is, you will not always have access to perfect choices. Sometimes you may find yourself at a party, the ballpark, on a cruise, or at a fast food restaurant. In those cases, just remembering to do your best and adjust where you are able to, can make a meaningful difference. Here are some examples:

• Ordering a hamburger without the cheese.
• Substituting a salad for French fries. Or, if you want to enjoy some fries, share them with everyone at the table. Enjoy the fries slowly and mindfully.
• Using mustard instead of mayonnaise as a lower fat condiment.
• Ordering sugar free iced tea instead of a sugary soft drink, or better yet, just have some water!
• Splitting a large portion with a friend so you don’t accidentally overeat.
• Skip the cocktail for once and see how different you feel during and after the meal, and the next day. Or drink a glass of water in between cocktails to slow down the alcohol consumption.

Although this article is mostly about nutrition for heart health, there are also lifestyle habits you can develop to support your heart to be healthy and strong:

• Increase daily physical activity that brings your heart rate up and makes you sweat a little. This is going to have a different meaning for different people. Whatever your current fitness level, you can continue building a stronger heart by pushing yourself a little more each day. Remember, the heart is basically a muscular organ! So keep that muscle pumping strong.
• Optimize your sleep quality by practicing good sleep hygiene and getting plenty of high quality sleep.
• Manage stress by understanding what tends to stress you out and developing strategies that put you more in mindful control of the situation.
• Get plenty of vitamin L (that’s love). Spend time with people you love, do things you love, cuddle with your furry family member, and keep a healthy dose of those feel good hormones circulating around your body.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this article and that you can see yourself being able to make some simple, meaningful and practical improvements that will support your friend, the heart! If anything here has resonated with you and makes you think you might want some help with your diet, movement and lifestyle practices, you may be a great candidate for nutrition coaching! Feel free to reach out to me by scheduling a complimentary coaching call here. We’ll discuss where you are with your health and fitness goals, where you would like to be, and how I can help you get there. Thanks for reading!

Sources:

90 Percent of Heart Disease is Preventable through Healthier Diet, Regular Exercise, and Not Smoking

A Heart-Healthy Diet for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention: Where Are We Now?

New look at nutrition research identifies 10 features of a heart-healthy eating pattern