No “good” and “bad” foods: “10 dietary patterns” to prevent heart disease and death

The complete “2021 Diet Guidance for Improving Cardiovascular Health” was published on Tuesday in the Association’s flagship journal, Circulation... And this more modern approach to nutrition is more about cultural traditions, personal likes and dislikes, and social issues such as whether most meals are made and eaten at home or people pick up on the go. I am in a workplace or school whose purpose is to adapt easily.

“We can all benefit from a healthy eating pattern of the heart, regardless of stage of life, and be able to design something that is consistent with personal tastes, lifestyles and cultural habits. “Alice H. Lichtenstein, chair of the Scientific Statement, said. Writing group, In the statement..

Lichtenstein, director of the cardiovascular nutrition team at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston, said:

It may seem strange at first to adopt a healthy diet, such as choosing a fish entrance over steak at a restaurant, or brown rice instead of frying white rice from your favorite Chinese takeaway joint. I admit that I can’t. “It may take some planning, but the first few times can be routine,” she said.

Here are the 10 steps of the American Heart Association Meal pattern To promote heart health:

1. Balance your diet, calorie intake, and physical activity to maintain a healthy weight.

2. Choose from a wide variety Fruits and vegetables, And eat plenty of produce to get all kinds of nutrients from foods, not from supplements.

3. Choose Whole grains and other foods are mainly composed of whole grains, Whole wheat, oatmeal, brown rice, popcorn, etc.

4. Includes a healthy source of lean and / or high fiber protein Vegetable proteins (nuts and legumes), etc.Fish or seafood; low-fat or non-fat dairy products; lean cuts of meat — and Limit lean and processed meats..

5. Use liquid non-tropical vegetable oils such as olive oil and sunflower oil.

6. Whenever possible, choose minimal processed foods (such as salad bags and roasted unsalted nuts) rather than super-processed foods (such as sweet cereals, potato chips, and smoked sausages).

7. Minimize eating and drinking of sugared foods and drinks.

8. Select or prepare foods that contain little or no salt.

9. Limit alcohol consumption. And if you don’t drink, don’t start.

10. Apply this guidance no matter where your food is prepared or consumed, whether you’re at home, eating out, or ordering takeaway.

These tips should sound familiar. Much of this advice has been supported by scientific research over the years.

read more: These four dietary and lifestyle changes can reduce your cancer risk by almost 20%

And that is the point. AHA’s new statement Reflects the latest scientific evidence about the benefits of a healthy heart diet throughout lifeAnd how poor dietary quality is strongly associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and death.

Weight watchers took a similar step a few years ago.The company was founded to help people lose weight, and seeing the scale literally By that name. But in 2018, Weight Watchers International Inc.Is it Shift Focus from Weight Loss to Wellness Journey, And the official name has been changed to WW International Inc.
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Mindy Grossman, CEO, said in 2018 that more people are joining Weight Watchers for “something more than fit in size 8”. “Today, health is a new skinny.” And the brand has been Customize your lifestyle guide for individual users, And a “one size fits all” approach away from old schools.

Related: “Covid 15?” If so-this is how much weight the average person actually gained during the pandemic.

And now, for the first time, AHA focuses on issues such as social factors that can make it difficult for people to learn and maintain healthy eating patterns. For example, about 2.3 million Americans live in food deserts more than 1.6 km from supermarkets and do not own a car. According to federal data, Makes it difficult to buy more nutritious and unprocessed foods. In the COVID-19 pandemic, more people are ordering takeaway from home. vice versa, Eating out spikes Bars and restaurants have reopened in some areas.

AHA highlighted the following social challenges that can make it difficult to start or maintain a healthy eating pattern in the heart.

• Extensive dietary misinformation from the internet.

• Lack of nutrition education in elementary and medical schools.

• Food and nutritional insecurity — According to references cited in the statement, an estimated 37 million Americans had restricted or unstable access to safe and nutritious foods in 2020.

• Structural racism and segregation of neighborhoods. As a result, many communities with a high proportion of racial and ethnic diversity have few grocery stores, but many fast food stores.

• Targeted marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages to people of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds through customized advertising activities and sponsorship of events and organizations in those communities.

Guidance recommends changes in public health behavior and policies to address these barriers, which we call “public obligations.”

The AHA statement also mentions that this healthy eating pattern of the heart is good for the environment. Popular animal products, especially lean meats (beef, lamb, pork, veal, venison, goats) have the greatest environmental impact on water and land use and are compared to plant-based foods. It greatly contributes to the emission of greenhouse gases. “It’s important to recognize that guidance is in line with sustainability as well as heart health, which benefits both individuals and our environment,” says Lichtenstein.