How to Develop a Personalized Heart Healthy Menu

With cardiovascular diseases on the rise in both men and women, it pays to follow a heart healthy menu. It saves you from taking high doses of medication every day. And it protects you from other diseases too, like high cholesterol and diabetes. There are so many healthy choices these days, so it's not difficult to personalize your menu to fit your lifestyle and tastes. Here's how to get started.

Instructions

1

Educate yourself about heart healthy foods. Visit the American Heart Association's website and "click" on the "Healthy Lifestyle" link. There's a detailed explanation of types of foods and how they affect cardiovascular health.

2

Keep a record for 3 or 4 days of the unhealthy foods you eat. Pay special attention to foods you turn to for comfort, or out of habit. You must consider these when you personalize your menu.

3

Pay attention to portion sizes for this observation period. Note when you've eaten something that made you feel uncomfortably stuffed. You're not judging your eating habits at this point, just taking note.

4

Study the heart healthy menus from the Mayo Clinic. This will give you an idea of what foods are appropriate for each meal.

5

Research recipes that are heart healthy. Expand your repertoire of foods. There are plenty of fruits and vegetables that provide an interesting eating experience that you may not be used to, like kale and arugula.

6

Plan some heart healthy menus based on what you like, your weaknesses and your research. Reduce portions of meats, carbohydrates and sweets and substitute more vegetables and fruit.

7

Shop with an open mind. Introduce something new into your meals every week. Tap into the American Heart Association's Checkmark website for ideas on heart healthy products to personalize your menu.