Keep Your Heart Healthy

Session Focus

Since you are at risk for type 2 diabetes, you are more likely to have problems with your heart or arteries. So it's important to keep your heart healthy.

This session we will talk about:

• Why heart health matters
• How to keep your heart healthy
• How to be heart smart about fats

You will also make a new action plan!

Tips:

Choose foods that are:

• Low in calories, salt, and fats‚Äîespecially unhealthy fats
• High in fiber, water, vitamins, minerals, and protein

Ways to Keep Your Heart Healthy

Do these things each day:

• If you smoke, quit.
• Be active for at least 150 minutes a week, at a moderate pace or more.
• Reach and stay at a healthy weight.
• Avoid sitting still for long periods of time. Take a 2-minute fitness break every 30 minutes.
• Manage stress.
• Limit alcohol.
• Choose foods that are:

Low in calories, salt (sodium), and fats—especially unhealthy fats

High in fiber, water, vitamins, minerals, and protein

Ask your healthcare provider:

• If you need to take medicine to keep your heart healthy
• If you need any tests to check your heart health

All About Fats

Avoid unhealthy fats

Unhealthy fats can harm your heart. There are three types of unhealthy fats: saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol.

Foods high in saturated fat include:

• Chicken skin and turkey skin
• Chocolate
• Coconut and coconut oil
• Fatback and salt pork
• Gravy made with meat drippings
• High-fat dairy products, such as whole or 2% milk, cream, ice cream, and full-fat cheese
• High-fat meats, such as regular ground beef, bologna, hot dogs, sausage, bacon, and spareribs
• Lard
• Palm oil and palm kernel oil
• Sauces made with butter or cream

Foods high in trans fat include:

• Processed foods made with hydrogenated oil or partially hydrogenated oil, such as cookies, chips, and cakes
• Shortening
• Stick margarine

Foods high in cholesterol include:

• Chicken skin and turkey skin
• Egg yolks
• High-fat dairy products
• High-fat meats
• Liver and other organ meats

Limit healthy fats

Healthy fats are good for your heart. But they are also high in calories.

There are three types of healthy fats: monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, and Omega-3 fatty acids.

Foods high in monounsaturated fat include:

• Avocado
• Canola oil
• Nuts like almonds, cashews, pecans, and peanuts
• Olives and olive oil
• Peanut butter and peanut oil
• Sesame seeds

Foods high in polyunsaturated fat include:

• Corn oil
• Cottonseed oil
• Oil-based salad dressings
• Pumpkin and sunflower seeds Safflower oil
• Soft (tub) margarine
• Soybean oil
• Sunflower oil
• Walnuts

Foods high in Omega-3 fatty acids include:

• Albacore tuna Herring
• Rainbow trout Salmon
• Sardines
• Walnuts, flaxseed, and flaxseed oil

Cook the healthy way

Here are some ways to avoid unhealthy fats and limit healthy fats when you cook. Write your ideas in the column that says "Other Ideas." Check off each idea you try.