The Role Proper Diet & Health Play In Your Cardiovascular Health

Did you know that eating a handful of nuts a few times a week can reduce your risk of getting a heart attack by 15%? That's pretty exciting and shows how powerful some foods are in promoting healthy living.

The importance of a proper diet in relation to a healthy body, especially in the prevention and cure of illness, is apparent.  Dietary factors play a prominent role in five out of the ten leading causes of death for Americans. Thus, it is important to emphasize the relationship of diet to the occurrence of chronic disease and to understand how wholesome food is necessary for good health.  Foods contain nutrients essential for normal metabolic function. An imbalance in nutrient intake or the consumption of harmful substances is the underlying factor in many chronic diseases, such as coronary heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

To acquire these nutrients means we have to eat foods that contain them and make choices about what foods shouldn't be eaten in excess. A proper diet that is low in saturated fat, low in cholesterol, and high in fiber is associated with a decreased risk of heart disease. 

High cholesterol, if left untreated over an extended period of time, can lead to atherosclerosis (a hardening and narrowing of arteries).  However, high cholesterol levels can be lowered through aerobic exercise, high fiber intake, low fat diet, and stress management. Eating a high fiber diet can help stabilize blood sugar levels.   Foods like beans, oats, whole grains and pumpkin can dramatically affect your health because they are extremely high in fiber and low in calories, in addition to being jam-packed with an abundance of disease-fighting nutrients.

It is equally important to eat your fruits and vegetables, especially broccoli and oranges, because these are packed full of Vitamin C & Vitamin E.  Vitamin C helps maintain a healthy cardiovascular system, is vital in the production of collagen necessary for cardiovascular health, and is important in the development of blood vessels. Vitamin C can only be obtained through the diet and must be replaced continuously.  Vitamin E helps to contributes to normal blood flow.  It is a good idea to supplement your vitamin intake with a good multi-vitamin.