Question

Step 1 Choose a food with a nutrition facts label from your kitchen or grocery store. Take a picture of the label. Step 2 Apply the heart-healthy guidelines from this graphic. Step 3 Submit your initial post with the following information: Identify the food. Explain how this food meets or does not meet the heart-healthy label guidelines. Make sure you discuss the different types of fat and how that impacts risk of atherosclerosis. Include the picture of your label. You will not be able to see your peers' posts until you submit your initial post. Due before midnight Sunday Reply to two peers on a separate day as your original post. As humans, we don't just remove foods from our diet...we replace it with something else. So, in your replies Discuss heart-healthy food that could replace the original food. Make sure you discuss the different types of fat and how that impacts risk of atherosclerosis. Feel free to include a picture of the replacement food. What lifestyle factors other than food can improve heart health?   

Answer 1

Heart-healthy foods include a variety of fruits and vegetables, a variety of grains and pulses, nuts, chia seeds, and flax seeds, dark chocolate, fish twice in a week, lean meats, green tea, etc.

To ensure that you are eating healthy heart food, you must check for AHA heart checkmark present on the packaging of foods. AHA heart checkmarks are present on certified foods meeting specific nutritional requirements.

Specific nutritional requirement put by AHA with a heart-healthy checkmark on food includes the following:

1. Total Fat: Less than 6.5 g
2. Saturated Fat: 1 g or less and 15% or fewer calories from saturated fat
3. Trans Fat: Less than 0.5 g
4. Cholesterol: 20 mg or less
5. Sodium: 480 mg or less
6. Beneficial Nutrients: 10% or more of nutrients (vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, calcium, protein or dietary fiber)

Amongst the Healthy heart foods, we are explaining here about the nutritional facts of flax seeds in the prevention of heart diseases and how it meets the criteria of Heart healthy checkmark foods.

Flax seeds

It is commonly known as flaxes or linseed. It is a fiber crop type of food. Its typical serving size of 1 tablespoon will provide you a good amount of protein, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids, in addition to vitamins and minerals.

Nutritional values of flax seeds:

• Calories: 37
• Protein: 1.3 grams
• Carbs: 2 grams
• Fiber: 1.9 grams
• Total fat: 3 grams(Less than 6.5g as per AHA guidelines)
• Saturated fat: 0.3 grams( 1 g or less and 15% or fewer calories from saturated fat as in AHA guidelines)
• Monounsaturated fat: 0.5 grams
• Polyunsaturated fat: 2.0 grams
• Omega-3 fatty acids: 1,597 mg
• Vitamin B1: 8% of the RDI
• Vitamin B6: 2% of the RDI
• Folate: 2% of the RDI
• Calcium: 2% of the RDI
• Iron: 2% of the RDI
• Magnesium: 7% of the RDI
• Phosphorus: 4% of the RDI
• Potassium: 2% of the RDI

From the above nutritional values, you can easily understand that it meets the heart-healthy checkmark guidelines.

Role of flax seeds in the prevention of heart diseases

Most of the benefits are due to omega3 fatty acids, lignans, and fiber content.

• Omega 3 fatty acid i.e alpha-linolenic acid helps to reduce levels of triglycerides, LDL(harmful for the body), and total cholesterol. It also reduces blood pressure and minimizes the buildup of fatty plaques in the arteries.
• Lignans have antioxidant and estrogen properties, both of which can help lower the risk of cancer and improve health.
• Soluble (20–40%) and insoluble (60–80%) types of fibers in flax seeds are associated with slowing of digestion rate and hence regulate blood sugar and lower cholesterol. It also prevents constipation.

Types of fats and their role in heart diseases

Saturated fats: This fat increases the level of LDL cholesterol in our body that tends to increase the deposition of cholesterol in various body parts including arteries. It increases the risk of thrombosis, coronary artery diseases.

Avoid eating foods high in saturated fats and have foods high in monounsaturated and/or polyunsaturated fats.

Trans fats: It raises your LDL (bad) cholesterol and also lowers your HDL (good) cholesterol and hence helps in building up of cholesterol in arteries. Avoid processed and packaged foods as they are rich in trans fats.

Polyunsaturated fat and monosaturated fat: These are essential fatty acids rich in omega 3 fatty acids and omega 6 fatty acids. It helps in lowering your LDL (bad) cholesterol, lower your blood pressure, reduce the buildup of plaque in your arteries. Hence it is beneficial to consume these types of fats for a healthy heart.

You can improve your health by improving your lifestyle. Do practice yoga, maintain your weight, eat healthily, do walk for half an hour twice a week, avoid drinking alcohol, and smoking. Replace your foods with healthy heart food mentioned above.

We have not posted any picture of food with label. But we have covered the nutritional facts written over the label.

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