Well - Winter 2014 - (Page 19)
NutritioN
A Two-Pronged Approach
to Heart-Healthy Eating
Lowering your blood pressure and improving
your cholesterol levels could save your life.
T
he American mantra for
heart health has always
been a simple one. Diet and
exercise; rinse and repeat.
But what kind of diet keeps
your heart functioning at its most effective level? UNC outpatient nutritionist
Susannah Southern, RD, LDN, recommends a two-pronged approach to help
lower your blood pressure and improve
your cholesterol levels.
"I usually get referrals when a patient
has elevated fasting cholesterol levels, or
when a patient's blood pressure is high
and they request a nutrition referral from
their doctor," says Southern.
When a patient is referred to the outpatient nutrition office, they have an initial visit to compare their current eating
habits with heart-healthy recommendations. Southern also explains to patients
how eating habits can affect blood pressure and cholesterol levels.Then together,
they construct a new dietary approach.
Step 1: Slash the Salt
The most significant dietary contributor
to high blood pressure is excessive sodium
intake, according to the Dietary Guidelines for
Americans from the Department of Health
and Human Services and the Department
of Agriculture. People who are not at risk
for cardiovascular disease should consume no more than 2,300 milligrams
(mg) of sodium a day, while those who
are at risk should reduce their sodium
intake to less than 1,500 mg per day.
Many cardiac patients who are admitted to the hospital are not aware of how
much sodium they consume. UNC inpatient cardiac nutritionist Ashley Smith,
RD, LDN, says she frequently meets
with patients who are surprised to learn
that they will be placed on a sodiumrestricted diet.
The majority of sodium in the
American diet is added during processing, not during cooking or at the
table, says Smith. This makes it incredibly important to always read nutrition
labels and to choose low-sodium options
whenever possible.
Step 2: Cut the Bad Fats
Southern also advises her patients to
replace saturated and trans fats with
healthier ones from olive oil, nuts, avocado and fish. Limiting saturated fat helps
reduce dietary cholesterol, as well, since
many foods high in saturated fats are usually the main sources of cholesterol. In
the human body, low-density lipoprotein,
or LDL cholesterol, builds up in arteries,
forming deposits that restrict blood from
passing through. Dietary cholesterol is
primarily found in animal products, such
as eggs and beef.Those who are at risk for
cardiovascular disease should consume no
more than 12 to 17 grams per day.
Putting heart-healthy eating into
practice can be difficult. Southern often
recommends using a food journal, which
makes it easier to add up the numbers
and adds accountability.
pHoTo: THinksTock
By Toni Bowerman
Low-density lipoprotein,
or LDL, is known as
"bad" cholesterol. Highdensity lipoprotein, or
HDL, is known as "good"
cholesterol. Together,
they are part of your total
cholesterol count.
In addition, Southern often refers her
patients to the Dietary Approaches to
Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, developed by the National Heart, Lung and
Blood Institute. The DASH plan encourages abundant consumption of fruits,
vegetables, seafood, poultry, whole grains
and nuts, while curbing red and processed meats, as well as foods containing
excess sugar or salt.
www.unchealthcare.org
19
http://www.unchealthcare.org
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Well - Winter 2014
Well - Winter 2014
Contents
UNC Health Care News
Community
Maryam’s Journey
Simple Diagnosis— Complicated Solution
Teamwork Guides UNC’s Cardiovascular
When Wounds Won’t Heal
Nutrition
Resources
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