February is National Heart Month and a reminder of how important it is to look after our hearts.
Run by the British Heart Foundation, the initiative is held every year to raise awareness of the fight against cardiovascular disease, with the aim of keeping more hearts beating for longer.
Along with regular exercise and keeping a handle on stress, it is important to remember that the food we eat has a huge impact on our health. A healthy diet can help to reduce your risk of developing coronary heart disease, stop weight gain and reduce the risk of high blood pressure.
In addition to this, a healthy diet will help to lower your cholesterol levels, which will prevent fatty deposits from clogging your arteries.
It’s easy to assume that simply avoiding all fats will help, but this is the wrong attitude. The best diet is a balanced diet. You just need to choose the right sort of fats to put into your body. It is important to:
- Cut down on trans fats
- Replace saturated fats with mono and polyunsaturated fats