Read how we support several nutrition needs for those managing heart health issues.
High Cholesterol
If you are aiming to reduce levels of blood cholesterol, Seattle Sutton’s Healthy Eating can help you reach your goal. All of our meal plans follow the nutrition recommendations from the American Heart Association and Dietary Guidelines for Americans for cholesterol, saturated fat, total fat, and added sugars. For high cholesterol levels, it is recommended to reduce your saturated fat intake, increase your intake of fiber, and lose weight—all of which our meal plans can help address.
High Triglycerides
For high triglycerides, it is recommended to cut back on added sugars and alcohol, and to lose weight, if needed. For added sugar, SSHE meals are well below the recommendations from the American Heart Association, and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Our plans average 4-4.5% of calories and between 50-85 calories in added sugars (lower for the 1200 and higher end for 2000 calorie plans). The AHA and DGA recommend less than 10% of calories and <100 calories per day for women/<150 calories per day for men.
If you are drinking alcohol, cutting back on the frequency and amount can help improve those triglyceride levels. And lastly, losing weight, helps to bring triglyceride numbers down as well. Here is an article from Mayo Clinic with more information: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/in-depth/triglycerides/art-20048186. By following our meal plan, sticking to water/skim milk, avoiding alcohol, achieving a healthy weight, you should see your triglyceride levels decrease. Adding in some physical activity can help too.
Sodium
Most foods naturally contain sodium, thus a no-salt diet does not exist. Many doctors recommend a no-added salt diet which translates to a diet that contains anywhere from 3,000- 4,000 mg sodium per day. However, health organizations recommend a lower sodium threshold per day. The American Heart Association recommends less than 2000 mg a day for a low sodium diet and 1500 mg a day for those needing more restriction due to congestive heart failure, kidney failure, and other conditions that require a very low sodium diet. Our meal plans meet these recommendations but vary depending on the calorie level due to the different portions. The averages per day for each plan is as follows:
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1200 calorie plan: 1500 mg sodium per day
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1500 calorie vegetarian plan: 1950 mg sodium per day
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2000 calorie plan: 2300 mg sodium per day (this is the recommendation for the average American)
These nutrition calculations include the recommended 2-3 servings on dairy per day. Some people choose to leave the recommended dairy servings off of their plan or swap them for an item that is of equal calories but less sodium. For example, the 2000 calorie meal plan without the dairy would average 2000 mg of sodium per day and 1700 calories.
Related Blogs:
The Do's and Don'ts for Heart Health
Be Good To Your Heart With 4 Heart Healthy Tips