This document discusses the importance of a healthy diet for heart health. It summarizes that while cardiovascular disease rates have declined in Canada due to prevention efforts, heart attack and stroke remain leading causes of death. Common risk factors include smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. The Omni Heart Study found that diets higher in unsaturated fats, proteins, or carbohydrates and emphasizing fruits/vegetables significantly reduced heart disease risk over 10 years. An ideal heart-healthy diet incorporates plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, nuts/legumes, and limits red meat, sweets, sodium and trans fats. Such a diet can lower blood pressure and cholesterol better

1. WHY WE NEED HEALTHY DIET FOR
HEALTHY HEART
Dr. Mubashar A Choudry MD

2. CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE (CVD) IN CANADA
 Has been in decline
 Since 1952 the rate has
declined by more than
75%
 Largely due to
research, advances in
surgical procedures,
drugs and prevention
efforts.
 But still...
 Heart attack and stroke
are 2 of the 3 leading
causes of death in
Canada.
 Account for ~29 % of all
deaths in Canada.

3. RISK FACTORS FOR HEART DISEASE AND
STROKE
RISK FACTORS
 Smoking
 Alcohol consumption
 Physical inactivity
 Obesity
 High blood pressure
 High blood cholesterol
 Diabetes

4. HEALTHY DIETS CAN LOWER THE RISK OF CVD
WHAT DOES A HEALTHY DIET LOOK LIKE?
 Despite all of the diet
books, food guides and
expert advice, most people
are still confused!
 Gluten free, Paleo, low
carb, no carb, low fat,
Aitkens?

5. HEART HEALTHY EATING
 Omni Heart Study
 O- optimal
 M- macro
 N- nutrient
 I- intake
 For heart health

6. OMNI HEART STUDY DIET
 Compared the effects
of 3 heart healthy diet
approaches.
 Based on variations of
the DASH diet which is
a vegetable and fruit
rich diet.

7. EACH OF THE 3 DIETS WAS HIGHER IN ONE OF
THE FOLLOWING:
 Carbohydrates - mostly from foods, containing
a total of 5 tsp. of sugar a day.
 Protein – more than half from beans, nuts,
seeds, tofu and other non – animal sources.
 Unsaturated fats - mostly from Canola and
Olive oil.

8. THE DIETS WERE REMARKABLY EFFECTIVE!
 Lowered blood
pressure:
 By 13 to 16 points in
people with
hypertension,
 8 points in people with
pre-hypertension
 “The diets lowered
blood pressure more
than most Blood
Pressure drugs.

9. THE DIETS WERE REMARKABLY EFFECTIVE!
 Lowered LDL (bad)
cholesterol
 Lowered damaging
triglycerides
 Reduced the risk of
heart disease and stroke
over 10 years by 20-
30%.

10. WHAT MADE THE OMNI HEART DIET SO
POTENT?
 Low levels of
sodium?
 Low levels of
saturated and trans
fats?
 Low levels of added
sugar?
 High levels of
potassium?
 High levels of
magnesium?
 High levels of
calcium?
 High levels of fibre?

11. AND THE WINNER IS....
 There was a tie
between the omni
heart diets higher in
protein and saturated
fat.
 Both were a little better
at reducing heart
disease risk than the
higher carbohydrate
diet.

12. 2000 calories
A DAY’S WORTH OF FOOD
FOR HEART DIET

13. VEGETABLES AND FRUIT
11 SERVINGS PER DAY
TRY:
 What is a serving – ½ cup
raw, cooked vegetables
 1 cup salad greens
 1 piece fruit
 ½ cup fresh fruit
 ¼ cup dried fruit
 A main dish (4 cup) salad
for lunch is 4 servings.
 2 cups of stir fried veggies
for supper is another 4
servings.
 Add 3 pieces of fruit, one
for breakfast and 2 others
for snacks and you’ve got
11 servings.

14. GRAINS
4 SERVINGS PER DAY: TRY:
 What is a serving:
 1 slice of bread
 ½ cup cereal
 ½ cup cooked pasta or rice
 ½ cup cereal with breakfast
 2 slices of bread with lunch
 ½ cup rice or pasta with
dinner
 This adds up to 4 servings
 Choose whole grains
whenever possible

15. LOW – FAT DAIRY
2 SERVINGS PER DAY TRY:
 A serving is:
 1 cup skim or 1% milk,
 1.5 oz (40 grams) cheese,
 1 cup yogurt
 ½ cup of milk with cereal
for breakfast
 6 oz. yogurt for lunch or a
snack
 1 oz cheese for salad or
vegetables

16. LEGUMES AND NUTS
2 SERVINGS PER DAY TRY:
 What is 1 serving:
 ¼ cup of nuts
 ½ cup cooked beans
 120 grams tofu
 You can have ½ cup of
beans on salad or with
dinner and ¼ cup of nuts
on cereal, salad, grains or
as a snack.
 That comes to 2 servings.

17. POULTRY, FISH AND MEAT
1 SERVING PER DAY TRY:
 What is a serving:
 ¼ lb cooked or 120
grams cooked or 4
ounces
 Start with 6 oz of raw
poultry, fish or meat to get 4
ounces cooked.
 That is about the size of a
deck of cards.

18. DESSERTS AND SWEETS
2 SERVINGS PER DAY TRY:
 What is a serving:
 1 small cookie
 1 tsp. of sugar
 Count each oreo sized
cookie as about 1 tsp of
sugar.
 Many breakfast cereal have
1-2 tsp of sugar
 Note: a 175 ml fruit yogurt
or ½ cup of ice cream has
4-5 tsp of sugar.

19. OILS AND FATS
2 SERVINGS PER DAY TRY:
 What is a serving?
 1 Tbsp. of oil
 1 Tbsp. of margarine
or mayonnaise
 Use 1 Tbsp. to saute
vegetables and 1 Tbsp. in
your salad dressing (2
Tbsp. of dressing usually
contain 1 Tbsp. of oil)

20. WILD CARD
1 SERVING PER DAY
TRY:
 1 more serving of poultry
fish meat, oils and fats,
grains, or desserts and
sweets
 About 120 calories’ worth of
any category previous.

21. THE TRICKY PART..
 The tricky part is
summing up a entire
diet in simple, easy to
remember advice
 You probably won’t
follow this diet every
single meal
 Think of it as an ideal.

22. RULES OF THE ROAD
 Make vegetables a main
course.
 Fill at least half of your
plate at lunch and
dinner.
 Have fruit for snacks or
with breakfast and lunch.
 Make vegetables part of
your main dish like stir
fry, vegetable curry,
vegetable fajitas.

23. KEEP SATURATED FAT AND CHOLESTEROL LOW
 This means just a small portion of poultry,
fish, lean meat per day.
 Use more beans, tofu.
 Use eggs and low fat cheese sparingly.
 Egg whites are ok.

24. DON’T OVERDO GRAINS
 Limited to 4 servings a
day if you are shooting
for 2000 calories, 3 if you
are shooting for 1600.
 A serving is a thin slice
of bread, not a 4 oz.
Bagel.
 ½ cup cooked is not
much, it’s the volume of
2 golf balls.

25. MINIMIZE ADDED SUGAR
 A 2000 calorie diet
allows for 2 tsp. (8
grams) of added sugar
a day.
 There’s no room for
more empty calories.

26. KEEP A LID ON SODIUM
 Avoid high sodium
processed foods like:
 Deli meats
 Canned soups
 Heat and serve entrees
 Chips, snack foods

27. EAT BEANS AND NUTS
 In the Omni heart study
people reported feeling
more full when they ate a
diet rich in beans and nuts.
 Add beans to soups,
stews, casseroles, stir
fries.
 Have ¼ cup nuts on your
cereal, as a snack.
 Don’t over do nuts, their
calories can add up
quickly.

28. EAT REAL FOOD NOT JUNK!
 Notice what is missing
in this diet?
 Sweets, cookies, cakes
 Big bowls of pasta
 Big bagels, muffins
 Most pizzas, wraps,
burritos, Panini
sandwiches are too big
 Gone are granola bars,
energy bars, pita chips
and junk disguised as
health foods
 Think of them as an
occasional splurge!

29. IN CONCLUSION
 You probably won’t
follow this diet every
single meal
 Think of it as an ideal
 Take parts of this diet,
what seems easiest to
you and start making
changes
 Change is a process
accomplished over
time.

30. QUESTIONS?