Eating a healthy diet can reduce the chance of developing vascular disease. Eating a balanced diet can not only keep your weight, cholesterol levels, and blood pressure under control, but it can also prevent fat deposits from building up in your arteries. It can also reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes.
Make sure you are getting plenty of fruits, vegetables, and starchy foods like whole grain breads, pasta, and rice, and reduce the amount of saturated fat, salt, and sugar that you include in your diet.
Fruits and vegetables
Fats
We all need some fat in our diet; It is a good source of energy and provides essential fatty acids that our body cannot produce on its own. However, eating too much fat, especially saturated fat, can increase the level of cholesterol in your blood and increase your risk of vascular disease. Reduce the total amount of fat you eat and replace saturated fats with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
Salt
Eating too much salt can raise your blood pressure. By reducing the amount of salt you consume, you can lower blood pressure and reduce your risk of vascular disease, heart attack, and stroke.
For more information on healthy eating, visit the Choices website. There you will find some great online tools to help you:
- Check your BMI
- Find out how healthy your current diet is
- Plan for healthier meals
- Make your weekly shopping healthier