Fiber Up for Heart Health
by Dr. April Gilliom, Naturopathic Physician and Health Education Lifestyle Coach
How can the heart become healthy again after injury? Sometimes it’s by doing work to restore a strong connection with inner joy and peace. At other times it takes understanding the power of food as medicine. The foods we eat provide a large dose of medicine, to heal or harm.
Do you know that heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States, and costs billions of dollars to manage? When a person develops high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes, they are at increased risk to develop heart disease. Heart disease is challenging to live with
and for doctors to manage. What if this could be prevented?
A strong heart helps a person show up for everything they love, and fueling it with healthy nutrition becomes vital to longevity.
In the winter months, high-fiber foods can be great to eat with intention. Fiber-rich foods reduce overall inflammation, supporting balanced cholesterol and sugar in the bloodstream. This can prevent our arteries from getting gunky, narrow, and stiff. Smooth flowing blood, flowing along smooth artery walls prevents heart disease. Did you know that gunk (or plaques) in an artery can be cleared by crowding meals with whole food fiber-rich foods?
Consider boosting heart health with one of these nutrition goals:
- With a meat-based recipe, swap out ½ the meat for beans, tofu, or lentils. ½ cup of cooked beans provides about 7 grams of fiber, depending on the variety. Beans have no cholesterol and have little to no saturated fat.
- Enjoy ½ cup of berries once daily (Tip: seedy raspberries and blackberries provide about 4 grams of fiber per serving!)
- Eat 28-40 grams of fiber each day. Calculate your total intake of fiber in a day, using nutrition fact labels or an online nutrition calculator. Meet with our dietitians for individualized support. In-person and virtual visits are both available.
This article comes to you from Cow Creek Health and Wellness Center Dietetics and Healthy Living Team. Please reach out to our Lifestyle Coaches for ways to learn more about the power of food as medicine. (541) 672-8533, option #2
