Why is it important to choose a heart-healthy diet?
Making good food choices can have a big impact on your health. Eating a heart-healthy diet can help you to: • Lower your blood pressure. • Lower your cholesterol. • Reach and stay at a healthy weight. • Control or prevent diabetes. • Improve your overall health. A heart-healthy diet is not just for people with existing health problems. It is good for anyone. (But children younger than 2 should drink 2% or whole milk, not 1% or skim milk. At age 2, they can switch to low-fat or nonfat dairy products.) Learning heart-healthy eating habits now can help prevent heart disease in years to come.
