Our diet and a lot of the foods we eat can have a big impact on our heart and overall health. In fact, 600,000 deaths a year are related to a heart disease or stroke caused by an unhealthy diet. The highest number of heart related deaths was studied and connected to a high intake of highly processed meats and sugar-sweetened beverages. Some foods that are not so good for the heart, especially when eaten in excess, are sodium, saturated and trans fat, and added sugars.

While researching this topic I found steps to take to have a healthy diet and help prevent heart disease. Control your portion size, eat more vegetables and fruits, choose whole grains, limit unhealthy fats, choose low fat protein sources, and reduce the sodium in your food. All these can help you have a healthy heart. Eating more fruits and vegetables can impact your heart in a positive way because they are good sources of vitamins and minerals. Whole grains is a good option because it is a good source of fiber and helps regulate blood pressure and is good for your heart health.

Furthermore, there are good fats and fats that are not so good for you. Some of the less healthy fats are butter, shortening, and pork or beef fat. Some of the healthier fats are nuts, peanut butter, and avocado. As I researched deeper, I found that there is polyunsaturated fat which is fat that our bodies need from food and can't make on its own. Polyunsaturated fats can also decrease your risk of heart disease. Overall I found that diet has a big impact on having a healthy heart and there are many things you can do to make sure you maintain a healthy heart!

Works Cited:

• "8 Steps to a Heart-Healthy Diet." Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 9 Jan. 2019, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/heart-healthy-diet/art-20047702.
• "Diet and Exercise for a Healthy Heart." Familydoctor.org, 12 June 2020, familydoctor.org/diet-and-exercise-for-a-healthy-heart/.
• "Heart Disease and Diet: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia." MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2020, medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002436.htm.
• "Poor Diet Linked to Half of Heart Disease, Stroke, Diabetes Deaths." Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic, Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic, 23 Apr. 2019, health.clevelandclinic.org/poor-diet-linked-to-half-of-heart-disease-stroke-diabetes-deaths/.
• Robinson, Lawrence. "Heart-Healthy Diet Tips." HelpGuide.org, 2020, www.helpguide.org/articles/diets/heart-healthy-diet-tips.htm.
• "The Truth About Fats: The Good, The Bad, and The In-Between." Harvard Health, 2019, www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-truth-about-fats-bad-and-good.