Open Mind, Reducing the Risk-Do You Want To?

Reducing Your Risk of Heart Disease and Cancer

Based on what we know, Open Mind, Reducing the Risk offers to suggest some ways you may reduce your risks of heart disease and cancer. These suggestions emphasize the need to eat a variety of foods each day. They also include some "mealtime stratergies" that you can use to plan meals that avoid too much fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium, and that help you to get adequate starch and fiber.These strategies are consistent with the Department of Health and Dietary Guidelines for Europeans and Americans.

These strategies should encourage you to think about the foods you eat, how to prepare them, and what food choices you can make when you go grocery shopping or eat away from home.

See our Article on Grocery Shopping

Open Mind, Reducing the Risk key is following a Choose More Often approach. Itdoesn't mean giving up your favorite foods. It means taking steps to choose more often foods that are low in fat and high in fiber. For example, if you enjoy eating steak, choose a low-fat cut such as round steak, trim off the excess fat, broil it, and drain off the drippings. Pizza? To try a low-fat version that is rich in fiber, use a whole-grain English muffin or pita bread topped with part-skim mozzarella, fresh vegetables, and tomato sauce. In many recipes you can reduce the fat, and substitute vegetable oils or margarine for butter. To increase fiber, use whole wheat flour in place of white flour.

Here's how the Choose More Often approach works:

Choose More Often:

Low-fat meat, poultry, fish

Lean cuts of meat trimmed of fat (round tip roast, pork tenderloin, loin lamb chop), poultry without skin, and fish, cooked without breading or fat added.

Low-fat dairy products

1 percent or skim milk, buttermilk; low-fat or nonfat yogurt; lower fat cheeses (part-skim ricotta, pot, and farmer); ice milk, sherbet.

Dry beans and peas

All beans, peas and lentils--the dry forms are higher in protein.

Whole grain products

Breads, bagels, and English muffins made from whole wheat,rye, bran, and corn flour or meal; whole grain or bran cereals; whole wheat pasta; brown rice; bulgur.

Fruits and vegetables

All fruits and vegetables (except avocados, which are high in fat, but that fat is primarily unsaturated). For example, apples, pears, cantaloupe, oranges, grapefruit, pineapple, peaches, bananas, carrots, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, potatoes, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, spinach, cauliflower, and turnips, and others.

Fats and oils high in unsaturates

Unsaturated vegetable oils, such as canola oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, olive oil, and soybean oil, and margarine; reduced-calorie mayonnaise and salad dressings.

To assure an adequate diet, choose a variety of foods daily including selections of vegetables; fruits; whole-grain breads and cereals; low-fat dairy products; poultry, fish, and lean meat, dry beans and peas. Here are some tips for following the Choose More Often approach in three important areas: grocery shopping, food preparation, and eating out.Take notice of these suggestions and you and your body will benefit.

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