3-Eating the Right Foods to Protect Your Blood Vessels

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2. Fried Foods

For example, fried chicken, French fries, and other deep-fried foods.

3. Sugary Drinks

For example:

* Soda

* Sweetened milk tea

* Sugary coffee

* Sweetened fruit drinks

* Energy drinks

Liquid sugar can be especially problematic because it is easy to consume a large amount of sugar without realizing it.

4. Desserts and High-Sugar Foods

Cakes, cookies, candy, sweet breads, and similar foods should be limited.

5. Highly Processed Foods

The American Heart Association’s current guidance also emphasizes reducing highly processed foods, as well as added sugar, sodium, and saturated fat.

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A Simple “Heart-Healthy Plate”

If you don’t want to remember a lot of complicated nutrition information, remember this simple principle:

At Each Meal:

½ plate: vegetables

↓

¼ plate: healthy protein

Fish, skinless chicken, tofu, beans

↓

¼ plate: healthy carbohydrates

A small portion of rice, brown rice, oatmeal, whole grains, etc.

↓

A small amount of healthy fat

Olive oil, nuts, fish, etc.

This approach is often more practical for long-term use than simply making a long list of foods that you “can never eat.”

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Finally, Remember One Very Important Principle

Preventing high cholesterol, atherosclerosis, and type 2 diabetes is not about finding one “magic food.”

What really matters is your overall eating pattern over the long term.

A simple way to summarize it is:

Eat more fish, chicken, tofu, and beans; eat plenty of vegetables and whole grains; enjoy moderate amounts of fruit and nuts; use olive oil and other unsaturated fats instead of some animal fats; eat less fatty meat and processed meat; reduce refined carbohydrates and sweets; avoid sugary drinks; and control your portions and total calorie intake.

At the same time, we should not think of “blocked arteries” as something that can simply be “cleaned out” by eating a particular food. A healthy diet can help improve cholesterol, blood sugar, body weight, and overall cardiovascular risk, but existing atherosclerosis requires appropriate evaluation and treatment by a healthcare professional.

For people who already have high cholesterol, diabetes, or cardiovascular disease, dietary changes should be made together with their doctor’s treatment plan. They should not stop prescribed medications on their own.

The most important part of healthy eating is not short-term deprivation. It is gradually changing what you eat every day.

Eat a little less fatty meat and rice, and a little more vegetables. Replace one meal of red meat with fish or tofu. Use a moderate amount of olive oil when cooking. Drink one less sugary beverage.

These may seem like small changes, but when maintained over the long term, they can make a meaningful difference.