How diet can improve heart health

CVD 'heart disease' is a significant cause of mortality and disability in the UK, resulting in a substantial number of deaths annually. It is suggested that a high percentage of cases and deaths related to heart disease could potentially be prevented.

Individuals looking to enhance their heart health often focus on two primary factors: stopping smoking and moderating alcohol intake.

People don’t realise how significant your diet is in improving your heart health

The impact of diet on heart health is often underestimated. Western diets are believed to consist of a considerable proportion of ultra-processed foods, which are prevalent in supermarkets.

Diet plays a crucial role in various aspects of health, including weight management, blood sugar levels, insulin sensitivity, and inflammation. Improving dietary habits not only benefits heart health but also contributes significantly to overall well-being.

Heart health & its link to diet

The healthiest hearts and the longest lives are lived by people around the world whose diets are least influenced by the dietary changes of Western culture.

These diets vary wildly, but all have one commonality... they are all largely made up of fresh minimally processed food, with very few refined ingredients and sugar.

How to improve your heart health by improving your diet

It’s not all doom and gloom. Anyone interested in improving their long term heart health & diet have 4 key pointers that can make a huge difference:

• Increase how many whole foods you eat
  Whole foods are single ingredients that are grown or reared outdoors and can be eaten without industrialised processing. Things that you know haven’t been through a science lab or complicated production process.
  Think seeds, nuts, fruit, vegetables, eggs, meat, pulses, spices, etc.
• Reduce consumption of ultra processed foods
  Especially those with added artificial additives and or added sugar. Eating more whole foods will naturally reduce your consumption of ultra-processed food.
  
  A super simple tip that’s great for people starting off is how to easily spot ultra processed food: quickly check the ingredients list! Do you recognise the ingredients? If it’s food you would have in your cupboards at home, perfect! If it requires a science degree to understand, it’s ultra processed.
  
  
• Increase your consumption of heart-healthy fats
  Incorporate heart-healthy fats from sources like butter, olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds, cheese, yoghurt, oily fish, and unprocessed animal fats.
• Prepare more meals at home
  We know this isn't always easy but as much as you can, cook at home using as many wholefoods as you can. Cook with olive oil or butter instead of refined vegetable/seed oils.  

If you need some inspiration, why not sign up to our FREE meal plan? 

The Daily Feed is weekly meal plans & shopping lists for simple, healthy, whole food meals made without sugar and refined processed ingredients - suitable for everyone.

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Purition is made with 75% whole foods plus a carefully selected protein powder to give you everything your body needs to thrive, and contains zero ultra processed foods or additives.

Our whole food recipe contains protein, fibre and natural fats, is ready in seconds, and keeps you full for hours.

Start enjoying Purition for breakfast or lunch, as an easy way to eat more whole foods and easily avoiding added sugar or ultra-processed ingredients.

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