Matters of the Heart

• Increase fruits and vegetables in your diet and choose low fat and fat free dairy products.
  
  
• Reduce saturated fats found in animal products such as beef, pork, lamb, veal and chicken. Pork has the highest saturated fat content; lamb, veal and beef have lesser amounts.
  
  
• Chicken or turkey skin is very high in saturated fat. Remove the skin from meat prior to cooking.
  
  
• Choose white meat of chicken and turkey only.
  
  
• Certain shell fish, like shrimp, are very high in cholesterol. Lobster has less cholesterol than chicken, but do not add butter or mayonnaise to it.
  
  
• Whole dairy products are also high in saturated fat. Avoid whole milk, cheese, egg yolk and butter.
  
  
• Choose low fat or fat free dairy products. Choose egg whites rather than whole eggs.
  
  
• Avoid processed foods and limit portion sizes.

• Limit dietary sodium to 2400 mg or less.
  
  
• Do not add salt to cooking or at the table.
  
  
• Read food labels and watch the serving size of sodium.

Stay Active

• Exercise raises the HDL (good) level of cholesterol in your body.
  
  
• Exercise decreases blood pressure and blood clotting.
  
  
• Exercise improves insulin utilization.
  
  
• Exercise decreases the risk of developing coronary heart disease.
  
  
• Exercise helps you to lose and maintain a normal weight.
  

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