Nutrition Guide for Heart Health

1. Nutrition Guide for Heart Health Prepared by • Diabetes Education Committee • Saudi Diabetes & Endocrine Association

2. Maintain your body weight within the healthy range, and lose weight, if obese. • Maintain your blood sugar and blood pressure within the recommended ranges.

3. Maintain your blood cholesterol within the recommended range. • Take your medications as advised by your doctor.

4. Check your blood sugar and blood pressure regularly. • Practice exercise regularly, and get the advise of your doctor on exercise type and duration.

5. Avoid alcohol drinks. • Avoid smoking (active or passive).

6. Consume healthy low fat food that is rich in fiber, fruits, vegetables, and low in salt and saturated fat.

7. Follow the nutritional guidelines for your heart health, and contact the SaudiDiabetes & Endocrine Association for any question.

8. General Guidelines for Heart Health Meat Group • Choose • Moderate portions of skinless poultry, lean veal or lamb or fish. • Bake or grill meat or chicken or fish than frying. • One cup cooked dried lentils or beans can be used as meat substitute. • Go Slow • Fatty meats, organ meats, egg yolk, commercially processed meats (such as sausage, hotdog and canned meat).

9. Fruits and Vegetables Group • Choose • Include vegetables and fruits with colors (green or yellow or orange or red color) in your daily meal plan, such as: tomatoes, strawberries, carrots, mango, squash, orange spinach. • Steam your vegetables or eat fresh and whole vegetables and fruits, and select unsweetened fruit juices. • Go Slow • Potato chips and deep-fried vegetables. • Canned fruits in syrup and sweetened fruit drinks. • Vegetables mixed with fatty sauces.

10. Bread and Cereals Group • Choose • Whole grain breads and cereals. • Pastas (spaghetti, noodles, macaroni and steamed rice). • Go Slow • Commercially baked breads (high in saturated fat and sugar), such as pastries and egg rich breads, donuts and pancakes.

11. Milk Products Group • Choose • Low fat and non-low fat milk products (skimmed milk, yogurt, laban, low fat cheese and low fat labneh). • Go Slow • Whole milk and its products, cream, butter, spread cheese, evaporated and condensed milk and Gishda.

12. Fat Group • Choose • Vegetable oils such as: (corn oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, or canola oil). • Go Slow • Solid fats and hydrogenated margarines, butter, ghee, animal fat, coconut and palm oils.

13. Desserts Group • Choose • Low fat fruit desserts (small portions). • Sugar substitute and diet drinks. • Healthy puddings made with fruits and skimmed milk. • Go Slow • Ice cream and other desserts made with whole milk, butter, puddings, pies, cakes and fried snacks. • Regular soft drinks and commercial sweets and cakes.

14. Health MessageUnite for Preventing Diabetes, Obesity and Osteoporosis

15. Contact Us • Tel: 03-8878970 / 8876099 • Fax: 03-8878710 • Email: sdea@sdea.org.sa • Website: www.sdea.org.sa • P.O Box 1498 – Al Khobar 31952 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Eastern Province