{"id":3771,"date":"2023-11-30T09:16:42","date_gmt":"2023-11-29T22:16:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/?p=3771"},"modified":"2024-02-15T09:57:38","modified_gmt":"2024-02-14T22:57:38","slug":"hearthealthyfoodsandbalanceddiets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/health-hub\/hearthealthyfoodsandbalanceddiets\/","title":{"rendered":"Heart-healthy foods and balanced diets: discover heart-healthy foods for a balanced diet!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Heart disease is a serious health concern in Australia. Fortunately, many of the factors that increase a person\u2019s risk of developing heart disease are modifiable\u2014we have the power to change and control them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One example of a modifiable risk factor is the food we eat. Following a healthy, balanced diet, alongside regular physical activity, is beneficial to our heart health.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this article, we\u2019ll outline the types of foods that make up a heart-friendly diet and give you some tips for maintaining a healthy heart through diet and eating habits.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Understanding heart health<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The term \u2018heart health\u2019 refers to the wellbeing of the cardiovascular system (the heart, blood vessels and blood), and when this system is working well every part of our body is supplied with the right amount of blood whenever it is needed. By contrast, the term \u2018heart disease\u2019 refers to several types of conditions that adversely affect the functioning of the cardiovascular system. These are:<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Cardiovascular disease<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014the most common cardiovascular disease is coronary heart disease (or CHD). CHD is the result of atherosclerosis, a build-up of fatty substances in the coronary arteries that causes them to become narrowed or blocked. This leads to less blood and oxygen reaching the heart muscle, which can result in heart attack. Other cardiovascular diseases include stroke, where the blood supply to part of the brain is affected by a blood clot. CHD is the leading single cause of disease-related death in Australia.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Arrhythmias<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014these are abnormal heart rhythms that result from faults in the heart\u2019s electrical system. They cause the heartbeat to become too fast, too slow or irregular.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Heart failure<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014this is where the heart muscle is damaged and does not work properly.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Structural heart disease<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014these are conditions that affect the heart\u2019s valves, walls, chambers or muscles.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Heart-healthy foods<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As what we eat on a daily basis can impact our body size, our cholesterol levels and blood pressure (which in turn affect our heart health), consuming a heart-healthy diet is very important.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, what foods constitute a heart-healthy diet? As we shall see, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.heartfoundation.org.au\/getmedia\/c6836ea5-a5fc-454c-a257-5988ec89f8d1\/Nutrition_Position_Statement_-_HHEP_FINAL-3.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the Heart Foundation recommends a variety of foods<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that include vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Healthy sources of protein such as fish, seafood, legumes, nuts and seeds are also recommended, as are smaller amounts of eggs and lean poultry (e.g. chicken breast).<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Balanced diets for heart health\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A balanced diet is one that meets all the body\u2019s daily nutritional requirements without exceeding its energy requirements (in nutritional terms, energy is something which is released from food to provide fuel for the body). Energy requirements vary with age, gender, body size and activity levels.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To improve heart health, the most effective approach is to make healthier eating choices across the whole diet. There are a variety of eating patterns that are thought to support this. These include:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>1. The Mediterranean diet<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats that come from fatty fish and plant sources (particularly olive oils or nuts). One big advantage of the Mediterranean diet is that people tend to find it more appealing than low-fat diets, which makes it easier to stick to in the long term.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>2. The DASH diet<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet was created specifically to help people manage their blood pressure through diet alone. This eating pattern includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein while restricting added sugar, saturated fat and sodium (salt) intake. The DASH plan encourages high-fibre foods like beans, nuts and seeds as an important source of healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, magnesium potassium and protein.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>3. Plant-based diets<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These focus on foods primarily from plants including fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, oils, whole grains, legumes, and beans. Such diets have been linked to improved heart health and can lower the risk of living with obesity and high blood pressure. They are rich in fibre and antioxidants, which support the reduction of inflammation.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>What foods are best for heart-healthy diets?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In developing its Healthy Eating Principles, the Heart Foundation identified <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.heartfoundation.org.au\/getmedia\/c6836ea5-a5fc-454c-a257-5988ec89f8d1\/Nutrition_Position_Statement_-_HHEP_FINAL-3.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the common features in heart-healthy eating patterns<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A heart-healthy diet includes a variety of nutrient-dense foods that promote cardiovascular well-being. Here are some foods that are generally considered beneficial for heart health:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Plenty of vegetables, fruits and whole grain cereals. The fibre, potassium and other micro-nutrients contained in fruits and vegetables have been shown to reduce the risk of high blood pressure and cholesterol. There is also evidence of a significant association between eating whole grain foods and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Diets high in fibre from whole grains have been linked to reduced so-called \u2018bad\u2019 (LDL) cholesterol levels.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> A variety of healthy protein sources, especially fish and seafood, legumes (such as beans and lentils), nuts and seeds. Smaller amounts of eggs and lean poultry can also be included. If you wish to include red meat, make sure that it\u2019s lean and limit it to between one and three times a week.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Unflavoured, unsweetened milk, yoghurt and cheese are good sources of protein and calcium.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4. Healthy fat choices such as nuts, seeds, avocados and olive oil. Healthier fats include foods and oils rich in mono-unsaturated and polyunsaturated (omega-3 and omega-6) fat. These fats have been associated with reductions in LDL cholesterol and increases in \u2018good\u2019 (HDL) cholesterol, reducing the risk of heart disease. (You can read about dietary methods for reducing harmful cholesterol <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/health-hub\/diet-to-reduce-cholesterol\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.)<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Heart Foundation\u2019s Healthy Eating Principles recommend that herbs and spices are used to flavour foods, instead of salt.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can find a range of recipes containing heart-healthy foods <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/health-hub\/heart-healthy-recipes-australia\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Nutrients and heart health<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A balanced, nutritious diet will provide you with a combination of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, protein, carbohydrates, fibre and healthy fat, all of which are beneficial for heart health.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Lifestyle factors for a healthy heart\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In addition to diet, other lifestyle factors can influence heart health. These factors include how much physical activity you do, whether or not you smoke, your cholesterol levels, blood pressure management, body weight management, sleep quality, stress management and social support.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Tips for maintaining a heart-healthy diet<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tips to help you stick to a heart-healthy diet\u00a0 include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Connect emotionally with the change you want to make: for example, if your main reason for following a heart-healthy diet is to have more quality time with your family, this provides a strong reason not to give up.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Have accountability structures: telling people that you\u2019re going to adopt a new diet and informing them of your progress can help you keep going.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make sustainable action easy: it can be helpful to start with small changes to increase your chance of achieving consistent wins that will provide you with the motivation to keep going.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remember, change is a process and it takes time. Be patient with yourself.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/health-hub\/heart-healthy-diet\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maintaining a heart-healthy diet<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is an important preventative measure against heart disease. By eating a variety of healthy foods from different food groups and making lifestyle changes such as increasing physical activity levels and quitting smoking, we can significantly reduce our risk of developing heart disease.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But successfully making long-term healthy lifestyle changes is not always easy. This is where <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/health-hub\/heart-disease-programs\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">prevention programs<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> such as <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>Life!<\/em><\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can help.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>How the <\/b><b><i><em>Life!<\/em><\/i><\/b><b> program can help you<\/b><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>Life!<\/em><\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a free healthy lifestyle program that helps you improve your eating habits, increase your physical activity and manage stress.\u00a0It will help you reduce your risk of developing diabetes, heart disease and stroke.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>Life!<\/em> <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is run by experienced health professionals, including dietitians and exercise physiologists, who guide and support you to make healthy lifestyle changes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The program includes 7 sessions delivered over a 12-month period. You can choose from a group course or our telephone health coaching service. Learn more about the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">program<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> here.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can also check your eligibility for the program\u00a0by taking a quick online test<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/#health-check\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Sources<\/b><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au\/health\/conditionsandtreatments\/cholesterol-healthy-eating-tips\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cholesterol &#8211; healthy eating tips &#8211; Better Health Channel<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthdirect.gov.au\/coronary-heart-disease-and-atherosclerosis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Coronary heart disease and atherosclerosis &#8211; healthdirect<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthdirect.gov.au\/how-to-lower-blood-pressure\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to lower your blood pressure<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aihw.gov.au\/reports-data\/behaviours-risk-factors\/food-nutrition\/overview\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Food &amp; nutrition Overview &#8211; Australian Institute of Health and Welfare<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthdirect.gov.au\/how-to-lower-blood-pressure\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to lower your blood pressure &#8211; healthdirect<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au\/health\/conditionsandtreatments\/heart-disease-and-food\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Diet and heart disease risk &#8211; Better Health Channel<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthdirect.gov.au\/heart-attack\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Heart Attack &#8211; Symptoms, Signs, Complications and Treatments &#8211; healthdirect<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthdirect.gov.au\/heart-attack-symptoms-men-vs-women\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Heart Attack Symptoms: Men Vs Women &#8211; healthdirect<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au\/health\/conditionsandtreatments\/heart-disease-risk-factors\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Heart Disease &#8211; Know Your Risk &#8211; Better Health Channel<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhmrc.gov.au\/health-advice\/public-health\/nutrition\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nutrition &#8211; NHMRC<\/span><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au\/site-5\/health\/conditionsandtreatments\/living-with-a-heart-condition\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Living with a heart condition &#8211; Better Health Channel<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.heartfoundation.org.au\/getmedia\/c6836ea5-a5fc-454c-a257-5988ec89f8d1\/Nutrition_Position_Statement_-_HHEP_FINAL-3.pdf.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nutrition position statement \u2013 Heart Foundation<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthdirect.gov.au\/staying-healthy-when-you-have-a-heart-condition\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Staying healthy when you have a heart condition &#8211; healthdirect<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Heart disease is a serious health concern in Australia. Fortunately, many of the factors that increase a person\u2019s risk of developing heart disease are modifiable\u2014we have the power to change and control them. One example of a modifiable risk factor is the food we eat. Following a healthy, balanced diet, alongside regular physical activity, is beneficial to our heart health&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":3772,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3771","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3771","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3771"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3771\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3774,"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3771\/revisions\/3774"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3772"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3771"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3771"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3771"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}