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The Greater Washington Weight Loss Center |
AHA Diet
American Heart Association Diet Recommendations:
Recommendations for People with Normal Risk:
- Choose fiber-rich whole grains, legumes, and fresh fruits and vegetables.
- When fats are recommended, avoid saturated fats and choose unsaturated fatty acids from vegetables, fish, legumes, and nuts. Dairy products should be low or no fat.
- Limit salt.
- Limit alcohol (no more than 1 drink per day for women and 2 drinks per day for men).
- Maintain healthy body weight.
- Maintain a healthy level of physical fitness.
Recommendations for People with Health Problems: Individual diet plans should be developed that take into consideration the individual’s specific problems, including lipids, blood pressure, and the presence of diabetes. For patients with elevated LDL cholesterol and a history of heart disease, the following is recommended:
- Follow general guidelines for a healthy diet.
- No more than 7% of total calories as saturated fat. Patients with very low intake of total fat (less than 15% of total calories) should be monitored for possible increases in Triglyceride and reductions in HDL cholesterol.
- No more than 200 mg of cholesterol per day. Lower levels may provide additional benefits.
- One study suggested that American Heart Association dietary recommendation are as effective for weight loss and controlling blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol in people with type 2 diabetes as exchange lists are. No studies have been conducted on any specific benefits or risks using the most recent AHA guidelines.