Heart Disease

Nemo

I'm using Cronometer to maintain a diet that is 'heart-healthy' in order to manage heart disease. I'm aiming for 5% to 10% daily saturated fat. It is challenging, but doable. I'm also trying to keep a very balanced diet. Taking a multi-vitamin and fish oil tablets helps to maintain all micronutrients (except potassium) at 100% levels.

Diet, heart medication and vigorous exercise ( at least 75 minutes per week at more than 70% of maximum heart rate). I am a realist, but believe that this gives me an excellent advantage in avoiding a heart attack or stroke. Health issues that can be improved by diet and exercise are a great motivator to improve diet and amp up exercise. Those three things reduce my high-risk status significantly.

Although I have already discovered many low-fat versions of high fat foods, I'm interested in any suggestions any of you may have. At my next visit to the cardiologist, I intend to ask him about his diet. Most heart doctors , I'm sure, practice what they preach.

Susan_RD_101

Hi @Nemo

Big congratulations on taking preventative measures to keep your body and heart healthy. While I would love to say that most cardiologists practice what they preach, the reality is that a lot of them put their work before their own health!

The best advice I can share for achieving optimal heart health is:
1. Eat an unprocessed diet (at least 80%) of the time
2. Limit restaurant meals
3. Eat a mostly plant-based diet
4. Limit added sugars
5. Avoid alcohol (can cause triglycerides to increase and is linked to cancer)
6. Exercise as much as you can
7. Follow a portfolio diet (https://www.ccs.ca/images/Images_2017/Portfolio_Diet_Scroll_eng.pdf)
8. Manage stress

Best of luck!

Nemo

Susan,

Thank you for weighing in with your expert advice. Your list of guidelines for optimal heart health is helpful, including the link to the portfolio diet.

I'm surprised that some cardiologists, knowing what they know about heart disease, do not follow these guidelines.

Vickie

With possibly the exception of following the portfolio diet, I think the list + good sleep is pretty much how everyone should live!

bracconiere

I'd chime in and say, if you need a multi it's a sign of poorly designed diet. Multi-vitamins don't work as good as old fashioned real food.

Nemo

@bracconiere--You are right. An MVI is no substitute for real food. I come pretty close to a balanced diet without a multi, but take it to ensure I get to 100% on vitamins.

@Vickie--Good sleep, as you say, is essential. For many years I had insomnia, but over five or six years of work to improve my sleep, it is now excellent.

bracconiere

I usually manage to pull off about 200% on everything with food, so just supp Choline, Biotin, because of lack of data...Vit D, B12...Because i don't eat much meat...and don't get a lot of sun...

I would just worry covering everything with a multi would make you complacent in not trying finding food sources...Took me 3-4 months of serious searching food to meet my needs...

(www.nutritiondata.com has a better nutrient search tool, lol @Aaron)

Nemo

bracconiere--You hit the nail on the head with surgical precision. Using an MVI as a crutch to cover dietary deficits is a lazy way to eat a balanced diet. In addition, real food is more than the sum of its parts. One of the reasons I became a member of Cronometer after the USDA Supertracker ended is to eat a healthy diet with real food. I checked out a number of programs, and Cronometer was hands down the top program for data, easy of use and a good guide to healthy eating and exercise. So far,so good.