Lately , many people have developed heart affections so nutritionists and doctors have developed different types of personal eating plan and more and more we hear speaking of a so called “ healthy heart diet “ .



The main purposes of this diet is to keep your blood cholesterol low and to decrease the risk of developing heart diseases . The main principles are : 8% or even 10% of the total calories a person eats per day must be from saturated fats , less than 30% must come from the fat you eat each day ,  you must not eat more than 300 milligrams of dietary cholesterol  , you have to limit your sodium intake at 2400 milligrams per day and  you have to be extremely careful at the number of total calories that you each day . You should eat enough calories to maintain your weight and to reduce your cholesterol level .



Excepting the principles above , the doctors also give us some rules to respect  : we should eat regular meals  , cut down on high-sugar foods and drinks , you must keep a low level of saturated fat , eat as many as possible fruits and vegetables each day and keep alcohol intake to moderate levels . One important substance that helps to reduce the risk of heart diseases is oily fish . Why ? ! The explication is simple : oily fish contains omega-3 fatty acids . These substances help to regulate the frequency of heart beating and also to reduce the level of triglycerides – which are responsible of the high level of cholesterol .

The doctors even made up a list with fats to avoid  and this list contains the following fats : butter , lard ,bacon fat , gravy , cream sauce , nondairy creams , hydrogenated margarine , cocoa butter , coconut , palm and the derived products made out of these substances . In contrast , doctors also composed a list with “ good “ fats : olive oil , canola oil , margarine free of trans fats  and cholesterol-lowering margarines .  There is also important to know which proteins to choose : low-fat milk , low-fat dairy products , egg whites , oily fish and especially salmon ,  vegetables , soy products and lean ground meals .  There is also a discussion regarding which fruits and vegetables to avoid : coconut , vegetables with creamy sauce , fried vegetables , fruits is heavy syrup and frozen fruits with added sugar . Another important thing is to avoid products made by white flour .



Respecting this rules and with the help of a nutritionist and a doctor , many people could follow a healthy diet that will improve their lifestyle , will reduce the risk of getting a heart disease and also for the ones who already have been diagnosed with a heart disease could improve the quality of their life and maybe reduce the harm produced by the heart’s affections .