At every meal, eat produce: Make produce the main focus of your daily eats. This mantra is mentioned all the time, but there’s a reason for it—fruits and veggies are easy on the waistline, and are chock-full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other health-friendly micronutrients that help keep you free of disease. And when it comes to tomatoes, tomato products are rich in the age-defying antioxidant, lycopene.
“Hug” those heart-healthy fats: Amp up your intake of mono- and poly-unsaturated fats to keep your heart health in-check. Healthy monos are found in olive and canola oil, sesame oil, peanut butter, avocado, and many other nuts and seeds. Polys include the essential heart-friendly fatty acid, omega-3, and are found in fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring and trout. Other sources include walnuts and sunflower seeds and flaxseeds. Just remember, portions still count!
Fill up on fiber: Foods like brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal, broccoli, sweet potatoes, beans, blackberries, tomatoes, strawberries—basically, foods from plants are a fabulous source of fiber that can help you achieve your goal of 20 to 30 grams of fiber per day (with men towards the higher end of the spectrum). Getting in your daily dose of fiber has shown to help reduce the risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, diverticulitis (inflammation of the intestine), and constipation.
Watch the added sugars and sodium: Limit processed packaged foods and sugary drinks, the biggest sugar and sodium hitters, and opt for foods that you can actually recognize. When you choose foods in their whole form compared to the processed form, you’re automatically—and drastically—reducing the sodium and sugar content of the foods you nosh. This allows your heart to work more efficiently and you to take in more essential nutrients.
Go light on protein and dairy: Choose lean cuts of poultry and meat. When it comes to meat, leaner cuts include rounds, loins, and roasts. If you can, opt for grass-fed meat too. It’s lower in total and saturated fat, slightly higher in omega-3s, and higher than grain-fed and finished meat in vitamin A and E—antioxidants that help prevent disease. And don’t forget about beans and lentils. They’re fabulous sources of fiber and protein that will help you stay fuller longer. When it comes to dairy, pick low or non-fat options. This way you’ll keep your heart and waistline in-shape while still getting in calcium and Vitamin D.
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