Heart to Heart: Nutrition Tips for Heart Health Month

Macy Moore

People with spinal cord injuries (SCI), brain injuries, and multiple sclerosis (MS), as well as those who’ve experienced stroke or traumatic amputation, can have a higher risk for cardiovascular problems. Since February is Heart Health Month, it’s a great time to work on preventing heart disease and stroke by reducing risk factors like obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. 

It's important to eat a healthy diet and try to get at least 150 minutes of exercise per week. If you use tobacco products, talk to your healthcare provider about ways to quit. Making lifestyle changes may seem daunting, but remember that even small changes can make a difference. Here are some tips to get you started. 

Eat an overall healthy dietary pattern that emphasizes: 
• A wide variety of fruits and vegetables 
• Whole grains and products made up mostly of whole grains 
• Healthy sources of protein (Mostly plants such as legumes, and nuts; fish and seafood; low-fat or fat-free dairy; and, if you eat meat and poultry, ensure it is lean and unprocessed.) 
• Liquid non-tropical vegetable oils such as olive oil and avocado oil 
• Minimally processed foods 
• Minimized intake of added sugars 
• Foods prepared with little or no salt 
• Limited or preferably no alcohol intake 
 

If you are looking for a healthy “diet” to follow, the Mediterranean diet is a great place to look for guidance and recipes. 

A Mediterranean-style diet typically includes: 
• plenty of fruits, vegetables, bread and other grains, potatoes, beans, nuts, and seeds 
• olive oil as a primary fat source 
• dairy products, eggs, fish, and poultry in low to moderate amounts. 

Fish and poultry are more common than red meat in this diet. It also centers on minimally processed, plant-based foods (like beans and lentils, not processed meats or plant-based meat substitutes like Impossible meats). Fruit is a common dessert instead of sweets. 
 

Here are tips to make your next grocery store run a healthier one: 

1. Plan ahead, make a list, and don’t shop hungry.
2. Start by shopping the perimeter of the store first. 
   • Most grocery stores stock fresh vegetables, fruit, dairy, fish, seafood, poultry, and lean meats on the outer aisles. Choose foods that are in their whole form instead of processed foods.
3. Read Nutrition Facts labels and ingredient lists. 
   • Look for foods with little to no added sugar and salt (especially when selecting canned foods), less saturated fats, and more fiber. Look for “whole” in front of the grain name and make sure it is the first ingredient.
4. Go for lean cuts of meat. 
   • Some of these may include sirloin, flank steak, tenderloin, and skinless chicken breasts. Choose ground meat with 12% or less fat ratio. When choosing canned fish or chicken, look for those packaged in water rather than oil and labeled “no salt added” or “lower sodium.”
5. Portion out what you bring home. 
   • To prevent overeating, portion out your snack foods such as unsalted nuts and whole-grain crackers, fresh fruit such as grapes or cherries, and fresh vegetables such as celery sticks and baby carrots into small containers or snack-size baggies. This can help with portion control and make grabbing healthy foods an easy choice.
      

Exercise can be just as important as nutrition when it comes to heart health, and Shepherd Center offers several resources to help you stay active. Tune in to exercise classes through burnalong®, which offers live and on-demand classes created by Shepherd Center specialists for people with spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, stroke, chronic pain, and multiple sclerosis. Recreation therapy health and wellness clinics are also held year-round, with virtual and in-person events around the country. Additionally, Atlanta community members can also visit Shepherd to use the ProMotion Fitness Center — a fully accessible gym — or participate in one of many health and wellness clinics throughout the year. 

For more heart healthy nutrition tips, you can visit the American Heart Association’s Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations. 

By Macy Moore, RDN, LD 

Macy Moore, RDN, LD, has been a Clinical Dietitian at Shepherd Center for 18 years and a Registered Dietitian for almost 23 years. Her previous work experience was at Roosevelt Warm Spring Institute for Rehab for 5 years. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition at Miami University of Ohio and completed her Dietetic Internship at University of Tennessee at Martin. She also has completed a Certificate of Training in Weight Loss in Obesity. Macy's special dietetic interests include outpatient counseling, weight management, SCI nutrition, especially pertaining to adolescents, and health/wellness.