Types of Cardiac Diets

There are many different types of diets that can improve cardiac health. These diets are designed with low-fat options that are beneficial for a healthy heart. A diet with good fats such as olive oil as a main staple is also good for the heart. Maintaining cardiac health can add years and longevity to our lives. Additional supplements that can improve heart health are B-vitamins and cod liver oil.

South Beach Diet

The South Beach Diet is a cardiac diet that was created by heart doctor Arthur Agatston . The South Beach Diet has three phases. The first is strict and involves eating only low-fat foods in small portions and no carbohydrates.

The second phase of the diet involves adding good carbohydrates such as carrots back into the diet. Once a person has achieved her desired results, the next step is to maintain the weight by entering Phase 3 of the diet, which is based on making healthy lifestyle choices.

The amount of time a person spends in each phase depends on the amount of weight that needs to be lost. Most people need to spend about two to three weeks on Phase 1 and then two months on Phase 2.

Vegetarian Diet

Vegetarian diets are good cardiac diets. A healthy vegetarian diet is a lifestyle choice that is good for cardiac health because of the absence of meat. The fat in meat contributes to heart disease. A good vegetarian diet involves eating three to five servings of fruits and vegetables per day. It is also important to consume healthy sources of protein such as beans, lentils or spirulina.

The Zone Diet

The Zone Diet is also great for cardiac health. It has been recognized because many celebrities, such as Jennifer Aniston, claim that they have followed it to maintain their weight. The Zone Diet focuses on eating whole foods and the right kinds of healthy carbohydrates. The only meat allowed is lean low-fat options such as turkey and fish.

Detox Diet

The detox diet is meant to improve cardiac health and reduce the toxin burden put on the body from our environment. A book by Elson Haas details how to make the detox diet work for you and if full of delicious vegetable dishes. The diet involves colon cleansing with juices and choosing foods that detoxify the body such as dark green leafy vegetables and carrots. Reducing the toxic burden on the body can improve overall heath and heart function.

Low Fat/Sodium Diet

Another type of cardiac diet is a low-fat low sodium diet. Too much fat and salt in our diet is bad for the heart. A low-sodium, low-fat diet involves eating less than 1,800 calories per day of foods that don't contain high levels of sodium or fat. You want to avoid foods such as fried and processed foods. You also want to avoid canned soups because they contain high levels of sodium.