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by Avery Hurt
You would think deciding what to eat and what not to eat would be instinctive and easy. Not so, at least for all too many Americans, who seem to have lost touch with a natural sense of how to choose a healthy diet. It may be because of the abundance in the average supermarket, or perhaps because busy lifestyles encourage us to pick the quick and easy. But whatever the reason, we need help.

The link between heart disease, the nation’s leading killer, and diet is well established. According to the World Health Organization, as much as 80 percent of heart-disease is related to lifestyle factors, primarily diet and activity level. Similarly, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute advises that women can lower their heart-disease risk by as much as 82 percent just by leading a healthy lifestyle.

But most of us glaze over and reach for a donut halfway through an article on the optimal ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids. And who can blame us?

Nutrition doesn’t have to be rocket science, though. “I don’t recommend measuring food or counting nutrients,” says Nicole Garfield, registered dietitian and nutrition consultant. “Just be mindful of what you are putting on your plate. Try to aim for three or more food groups.” These easy rules of thumb can help you develop a more natural sense of what and how to eat:
  • Eat less. Obesity is a leading risk factor for heart disease. If you are overweight, simply eating less of whatever you do eat will make an immediate difference.
  • Eat real food. Avoid most processed foods and choose whole foods whenever you can. Processed foods typically contain way too much sodium and other not-so-great additives.
  • Eat good fat. Choose olive and canola oils, limit saturated fats and eliminate (as much as possible) trans fats.
  • Eat fiber. The fiber in whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables can help reduce levels of bad cholesterol.
  • Eat your five a day. A wide variety of fruits and vegetables is one of the best things you can do for your heart (and the rest of your body). But not if you always fry your zucchini and soak your salad in high-fat dressing.
Eating should be simple, and it is. Put these basic principles into practice and soon you’ll be as confident as a lion about what food to pounce on.


No Math, but Some Reading

As soon as you venture out of the produce section, you are faced with one of the challenges of modern food shopping: the nutrition label. Learn to read it. Look for grain products that have three or more grams of fiber per serving, foods with no trans fats and more monounsaturated than polyunsaturated fat, and little or no saturated fat.

So far so good. But along with total calories, amount of fiber, types and amounts of fat, be sure to notice the serving size, too. All the info on the label, including calories, is based on a single serving. People are often surprised by the number of servings in a containter. If a box you planned to eat contains two or three servings, that’s two or three times the calories and fat listed on the label.

OK, maybe a little math was involved.
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The organizations and individuals featured in Spring Health do not endorse the commercial sponsors. Editor Elinor Nauen | Design Segal Savad Design