Circle of Responsibility

e.g. Organic Food

You’re healthy, so why think about heart disease or stroke? These are diseases that only happen late in life, right? Think again. Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer in America. More than two out of every five Americans die of cardiovascular disease. Even more concerning is the fact that this silent killer is starting to attack younger people.

 

There is good news however; the choices you make now can minimize your risk for developing heart disease. Here are several ways you can improve your odds of enjoying a long and heart-healthy life!

 

Factors that increase your risk for developing heart disease:

 

Factors you can control	Factors you can't control
Smoking	Family history (genetics)
Diabetes	Gender (males are at higher risk earlier than females)
High blood cholesterol	Age
High blood pressure

 

As you can see, many of the risk factors are in your control with some attention to your dietary patterns. By choosing healthy eating patterns you can maintain a healthy body weight, which reduces your chances of developing high blood pressure, diabetes and problems with cholesterol. More importantly, what you eat plays a big role in how much blood cholesterol is produced in the body.

 

When it comes to prevention, your main focus should be fat. The evidence is clear that dietary fat plays a major role in blood cholesterol as well as body weight. However, fat is not all evil. Fat is a nutrient that is needed in moderate amounts to help with absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and to supply the essential fatty linoleic and linolenic acids, which your body cannot make. Current recommendations from the American Heart Association suggest a diet that contains up to 30% of calories from fat can be healthy…the trick is to recognize that not all fats are created equal (1).

 

Cholesterol, saturated fat, trans-fatty acid, omega-3, hydrogenated fat, monounsaturated fat…the list goes on and what does it all mean? All of these terms really refer to a group of fatty substances known as lipids. Lipids are packaged in foods in many different forms. Once eaten, these lipids are broken down and "repackaged" for multiple functions in the body. Depending on the type of lipid, some can actually be protective or "heart healthy" while others can promote fatty build up in the arteries that can lead to disease.

 

A quick guide to fats and cholesterols

 

Cholesterol is a soft, waxy substance found among the lipids (fats) in the bloodstream and in all your body's cells. It is essential for human life but the body makes most of the cholesterol that it needs. Some cholesterol is absorbed from the foods you choose.

 

Dietary cholesterol is found only in foods of animal origin.

 

Blood cholesterol is formed as a result of the body’s own production of cholesterol and is influenced by the fats that we eat. There are several kinds, but the ones to be most concerned about are low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL).

 

LDL cholesterol is the major cholesterol carrier in the blood. If too much LDL cholesterol circulates in the blood, it can slowly build up in the walls of the arteries that feed the heart and brain.

 

HDL cholesterol tends to carry cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver, where it's passed from the body. Some experts believe HDL removes excess cholesterol from plaques and thus slows their growth. HDL cholesterol is known as "good" cholesterol because a high HDL level seems to protect against heart attacks.

 

Fat refers to a group of compounds made of glycerol and fatty acids. Fat is one of the three calorie-containing nutrients. Although all fats contain the same amount of energy, or calories, they do not all have the same effect on your risk for disease. Saturated fats and cholesterol tend to raise blood cholesterol while unsaturated fats and omega-3s can be beneficial.

 

Trans fatty acids are harmful to your health because they raise your "bad" LDL cholesterol and also lowers your "good" HDL cholesterol.  The higher your LDL cholesterol levels are over time, the greater your risk for developing atherosclerosis, a condition in which fat accumulates in the walls of you arteries.  This can restrict blood flow to your heart and may eventually lead to coronary artery disease (1).  All Bon Appétit cafés only use non-hydrogenated frying oil and have also eliminated trans fats in house-baked goods and butter substitute spreads.

 

Lipids that raise cholesterol	Sources	Examples
Dietary cholesterol	Foods from animals	Meats, egg yolks, dairy products, organ meats (liver, etc), fish and poultry
Saturated fats	Foods from animals         Certain plant oils	Whole milk, cream, ice cream, whole milk cheeses, butter, lard and meats   Palm, and coconut oils, cocoa butter
Trans-fatty acids	Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils	Cookies, crackers, cakes, French fries, fried onion rings, donuts and most commercially baked goods

Source: Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005.

 

Although the types of fat you choose play a crucial role in preventing heart disease, the amount of fat is important as well. Some research suggests that the type of fat may have a bigger impact on disease than the actual amount of fat. However, too much fat can certainly cause concerns with weight and displace other nutrient rich foods.

 

Here are some ways you can reduce your risk of heart disease by changing the fats you eat:

• Learn to recognize your fat sources

Knowing the source of fat in your diet is the first step to reducing your intake. Balance your higher fat choices with grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean meats and non-fat or low-fat dairy.

• Choose more fish, lean meats and skinless poultry

Trim visible fat and remove skin when possible for even leaner selections.

• Go for "five-a-day"…that is fruits and vegetables

These food groups provide vitamins, minerals and fiber, which have all been shown to help prevent heart disease.

• Fill up on whole grains

Allow whole grains, fruits and vegetables to fill up 50-75% of your plate. Beware of high fat, refined carbohydrate options foods like donuts, muffins, cookies and cakes. Enjoy these in smaller amounts but aim for whole grains as a staple.

 Learn to appreciate the flavors of foods, not just the fats that are on top of them.  When ordering salads, ask for dressing on the side. Chances are you won’t use all the dressing they give you. Focus on using fats that do not raise your cholesterol…olive oil, canola oil, nuts and other unsaturated fats can actually help lower your cholesterol.

• When reducing fat, add flavor from other sources

Use herbs, spices and low fat condiments such as soy sauce, vinegar, mustard and steak sauce to maximize flavor without adding fat.

• Watch portion sizes

Higher fat foods can be enjoyed in smaller quantities while lower fat foods can provide the volume you need to feel full.  Visit the Proper Portions gallery for serving sizes recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

 

A heart healthy diet is something to start now. Don’t wait until you develop a problem…prevention is the best way to keep your heart working for a lifetime!

 

This information is not intended to take the place of advice from a healthcare professional. Check with your physician before starting any diet or exercise program. In addition, while all efforts have been made to ensure the information included in this material is correct, new research is released frequently and may invalidate certain pieces of data. 5/07