Reversing Heart Disease - Can It Be Done?
So you've been told you have heart disease - now, can you reverse it? It really depends what you mean by "reverse." Perhaps your doctor explained to you that for some kinds of heart disease, the damage is already done. The best thing may be to have surgery (like for coronary artery disease) to open or bypass blockages. In that sense, the damage or heart disease is "reversed." For many types of heart disease, the damage already done to the heart can't be reversed. But sometimes the damage can be slowed or stopped to the point that it can be considered to be "reversing heart disease." So, while your heart may never be "as good as new," it sure can be better than it is today!
One thing seems clear. There are lifestyle changes that can help with reversing heart disease. Along with stopping smoking, exercising, and taking prescription medicine to help with cholesterol levels in the blood, there are basic changes one can make to fats in the diet that will have a positive impact, and help with reversing heart disease.
The Role Fats Play In Heart Disease
For most of us, we don't pay any attention to what we eat. Our diets are full of things that are high in fats and cholesterol, and we neglect the valuable fruits and vegetables too much. We need to change these habits if we want to have our diet help us in reversing heart disease.
What are the dos and don'ts of eating when it comes to reversing heart disease? There are many pieces to this puzzle. One of the biggest puzzle pieces is about the fats in our diets. First, avoid saturated fats. Saturated fats are those pesky things that the body can turn into LDL cholesterol, which is the "bad cholesterol" that can clog the arteries. What is high in saturated fat? Read the labels on the packages for accurate information, but a quick guide to remember is that animal products are high in saturated fat - these include milk, cheese, and meats. Other things, like baked goods that use butter, cream, or cheese will also be high in saturated fats.
Another type of fat to be aware of are "trans fats." These are found in fast foods (particularly fried foods), many cookies and snacks, and margarine. These also increase the LDL, which helps clog your heart. Not only that, but they also lower your HDL - which is the "good cholesterol," the kind that helps to keep your arteries running clear. If you read the labels on the foods you eat, watch for "partially hydrogenated vegetable oil" - that means "trans fat." Manufacturers must list trans fats on the labels of the products they sell.
Some kinds of fats are actually good for the body. These include monounsaturated fats. They are found in some nuts, canola oil, and olive oil. These reduce the LDL in the body and that helps with slowing heart disease. Also, polyunsaturated fats - which are in corn oil, soybean oil, and some margarines - are good in that they reduce LDL, but the rest of the cholesterol becomes more of a problem, so that's the downside. Omega-3 fatty acids (in fatty fish like salmon, and in fish oil or flaxseed supplements) can lower cholesterol and be good for the heart.
There are other measures that can also be taken to help with reversing heart disease. Adding more fruits and vegetables into your diet will also help.
