The heart is a vital organ that is responsible for pumping blood throughout the body, delivering oxygen and nutrients to cells while removing waste products. Its function is essential to sustain life and maintain overall health. We always need healthy heart diet.

• A cardiologist emphasizes that delaying healthy changes is the most important mistake you can make for heart health.
• Maintaining a heart-healthy diet and regular exercise is important to prevent future heart disease, heart attacks and strokes.
• An easy initial step toward a heart-healthy diet is to change your beverage choices.

For those aiming for a longer life, doctors recommend that the best time to prioritize heart health is now.

According to Dr. Gregory Katz, a cardiologist at NYU Langone, the primary mistake people make when it comes to heart health is procrastinating until it’s too late to take action.

“People often think that heart problems happen suddenly. Sometimes, as soon as they wake up, they ask, ‘How did I have a heart attack or stroke?’ The groundwork has already been laid,” Katz explained to Business Insider.

He emphasized that today’s habits, such as eating well and being active, can have a significant impact on heart protection and prevent future heart problems.

Although medications can help, some patients initially delay taking them in favor of making lifestyle changes.

“Taking medication is not a moral shortcoming. It’s an important message,” Katz said.

He stressed the importance of focusing on lasting changes that anyone can realistically pursue.

“People often deceive themselves about the lifestyle changes they are actually committed to,” Katz said. “Many patients think they will make a change, yet their cholesterol remains high five years later.

To establish lasting heart-healthy habits, Katz recommends starting with small, manageable adjustments — like reducing sugar intake from beverages.

Reducing liquid calorie intake can have profound effects.

Poor heart health, including high cholesterol, often results from a diet rich in processed foods, added sugars, red meat and saturated fat, which is typical in the American diet.

In contrast, a heart-healthy diet emphasizes vegetables, whole grains, legumes and unsaturated fats like olive oil, which help lower cholesterol.

However, making radical changes to your diet overnight can be challenging and may even backfire.

The easiest way to start improving your diet for heart health is to reduce sugar or alcoholic beverages, suggests Katz.

He commented, “Calories and alcohol drinking are among the most modifiable risk factors. The number of people consuming 500-calorie beverages per day astounds me.” “Just because it’s simple doesn’t mean it’s easy.”

Research shows that soda, juice, sweetened coffee and cocktails all contribute to health risks such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer.

One dietitian previously recommended replacing these beverages with other options:

• Seltzer with fruit flavor
• tea without sugar
• water infused with citrus or herbs such as mint

Cutting out liquid calories represents a positive initial step toward enhancing key aspects of heart health and promoting longer life, such as maintaining healthy blood pressure, cholesterol levels and stable blood sugar.

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