Reduce
your fat, reduce
your risk
According to the
American Heart Association,
about 12 million
Americans suffer
from coronary heart
disease. You can
improve your odds
of preventing heart
disease and a heart
attack by keeping
your blood cholesterol
low. Maintaining
a healthy weight
and keeping your
diet low in saturated
fat are good ways
to do just that.
What should your
fat intake be? Health
care professionals
recommend that all
healthy people 2
years and up follow
these dietary guidelines:
- Restrict your
total fat intake
to less than 30%
of your daily
calories. Then,
divide that fat
intake into thirds:
- Limit your
saturated
fat intake
to less than
10% of your
daily calories.
- Keep your
polyunsaturated
intake to
less than
10% of your
daily calories.
- Make sure
your intake
of monounsaturated
fat is under
10 to 15 %
of your daily
calories.
- Limit your
cholesterol intake
to less than 300
mg a day.
- Eat only enough
calories to achieve
or maintain your
desirable weight.
If you've had a
heart attack or
have high cholesterol
levels (240 mg/dl
or higher), you'll
need to further
restrict your intake
of saturated fat
(to less than 7%
of your daily calories)
and cholesterol
(to less than 200
mg per day).
By coupling a low-fat
diet with regular
physical activity
and a "no-smoking"
policy for yourself,
you'll be taking
important steps
in preventing heart
disease. Be sure
to talk to your
doctor about dietary
fat, your risk factors
for heart disease,
and what's best
for you.
|
