HEART-HEALTHY LIVING Even small steps toward a more healthful lifestyle can make a big difference in keeping your heart healthy. Knowledge, nutrition and activity can help you improve your heart health. Along with your healthcare provider s guidance, set goals to take better care of your heart. Here are some tips for living a heart-healthy lifestyle: Get more active. Try to exercise for about 30 minutes, most days of the week. This can lower your blood pressure, raise your good cholesterol level and lower your bad cholesterol level. It also makes it easier to manage your weight, gives you more energy, helps you cope with stress and helps you sleep better. Check with your healthcare provider before you start any physical activity program. Aim for a healthy weight. If you are overweight, weight loss can help lower your blood pressure and decrease the burden on your heart and joints. Eat a healthy diet. Choose more heart-healthy fats, such as olive and canola oils. Eat more fiber to help lower your cholesterol. Bake, boil or broil, rather than fry foods. Choose lean cuts of meat and trim any visible fat. Include fish and poultry in your diet at least a few times a week. Limit high-calorie and high-fat desserts. Please note: Product selection may vary between Costco Wholesale locations
FILL YOUR CART WITH HEART- HEALTHY OPTIONS AT COSTCO Read the Nutrition Facts on the food label. Serving Size Calories Saturated and Trans Fats Fiber Sugar Keep track of how many grams of carbs you are eating. Keep snacks to 50-200 calories, and meals to 300-600 calories. Select foods with zero grams of trans fats and as few grams of saturated fat as possible. Choose foods with at least three grams of fiber, and eat a total of 25-35 grams of fiber a day. Select foods with as little added sugar as possible. Try to eat foods with 10 grams of sugar or less per serving. And remember, proteins make you feel full and satisfied and they have little or no carbohydrates.
DIVIDE YOUR CART & MAKE HEALTHIER FOOD CHOICES Apply MyPlate principles to your cart. Imagine a line that divides your cart into sections for vegetables, fruits, whole grains lean proteins, and low-fat dairy products. As you fill your cart, choose foods that fall into each category.
Costco has a large selection of fruits and vegetables, so buy enough for all of your meals and snacks. When you eat, fill half of your plate with fruit or vegetables. Eating fruits and vegetables makes you feel full for very few calories. The antioxidants in fruits and vegetables help to cool inflammation and reduce body fat.
Experts recommend eating 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables each day. This is what one serving of fruit and vegetables really means. Food Raw Vegetables or Salad Greens Cooked Vegetables Raw Fruit Fruit Juice 1 Serving Equals: 1 cup ½ cup 1 medium-sized fruit or ½ cup ½ cup
Key Points: Fresh produce in season tastes better and costs less Fresh is best, but frozen or canned is a great substitute when fresh is not available Look for low-sodium canned products Look for frozen products without sauce or seasoning
HEART-HEALTHY SUPPLEMENTS AT COSTCO Discuss any of these options with your healthcare provider before adding them to your heart-health regimen. Multivitamin and mineral supplements. A daily multivitamin and mineral supplement can help you get the right amount of vitamins and minerals each day, if you can t get them through your diet. Co-Q10 supplements. These are sometimes recommended for people who are taking statin medications for their heart-health. Niacin. This may help some people maintain cholesterol levels that are already within a normal range. If you take cholesterol-lowering drugs, you should not take niacin unless it is recommended by your healthcare provider, as it may cause flushing or hot flashes. Fish oil capsules. Supportive, but not conclusive, research shows that the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil capsules may reduce your risk of heart disease.
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