Heart Disease, Diabetes and Your Diet

Filed in archive Diet , Resources on February 15, 2009

Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, Image# 7317922

Heart disease is strongly connected with diabetes. In fact, heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of death in people with diabetes. Thus, if you or your love one has diabetes, it is important to know how to reduce the risk of heart disease and Stoke.

The American Diabetes Association has some healthy tips to make sure that people with diabetes have a heart healthy plate:

• Choose whole-grain, high-fiber foods. Try a grain like barley for a new taste.


• Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits. Shoot for a rainbow of colors.


• If you drink alcohol, stick to 1 or 2 drinks at the most.


• Ditch the saltshaker. Try fresh herbs and spices.


• Avoid trans fat, which is found in many pastries, cakes, french fries, crackers and other processed foods and packages. Also, limit intake of foods high in saturated fat and cholesterol.


• Choose non-fat dairy, and have several "meatless meals" every week. Use beans, veggie burgers, lentils and other sources of vegetarian protein.

So...is your plate heart healthy? Make sure that it is.