Healthy eating is very important for a healthy heart. Eating more calories than your body burns will cause the extra calories to be stored as body fat. People who have too much body fat have a higher risk of developing heart disease and stroke. Excess weight puts strain on the heart. It raises blood pressure and blood cholesterol and can lead to diabetes.

Fat has more calories than other types of food. Eating less fat can help reduce the day's total caloric intake. A diet that makes small but permanent healthy changes in eating habits works best.

The American Heart Association makes the following recommendations for dietary and lifestyle goals:

• Eliminate cigarette smoking.

• Maintain appropriate levels of caloric intake and physical activity to prevent obesity and reduce weight in those who are overweight.

• Consume 30 percent or less of the day's total calories from fat.

• Consume 8 to 10 percent of total calories from saturated fat (primary sources are animal products, palm and coconut oil).

• Consume up to 10 percent of total calories from polyunsaturated fat (primary sources are vegetable oils, nuts, and high-fat fish).

• Consume up to 15 percent of total calories from monounsaturated fat (primary sources are olive and canola oils).

• Consume no more than 300 milligrams of cholesterol.

• Consume no more than 2.4 grams of sodium.

• Consume 55 to 60 percent of the day's total calories as complex carbohydrates (which are vegetables, fruits, and whole-grain products).

• For those who drink alcohol, consumption should not exceed 2 drinks per day (this is 1 to 2 ounces of alcohol).

Some people mistake the guidelines to mean that each food eaten should have less than 30 percent of its calories come from fat. The guideline applies to the average of all calories consumed over a period of one week. Some foods, such as ice cream, have more than 30 percent of their calories from fat. To promote variety of food choices, it is permissible for your total fat intake to occasionally exceed the suggested 30 percent fat per day rule, providing adjustments are made in the following days. In a week's time, for example, if 40 percent of your total calories were eaten on 2 days, then this should be balanced out by decreasing your daily fat intake down to 20 percent for two other days during that week.

Your ideal weight depends on your age, sex, and height. Your healthcare provider can tell you what your ideal weight should be. Combining a healthy diet with a regular exercise program is the best approach to losing weight and helping your heart. People who weigh too much should try to lose only about 1 to 2 pounds per week. Routine exercise helps use up stored body fat. It also plays a role in reducing the risk of heart disease. Be sure to check with your healthcare provider before starting a new exercise program.

For more information, contact your local chapter of the American Heart Association or call (800) 242-8721.

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