Cardiometabolic Food Plan
Did your medical practitioner suggest you follow a Cardiometabolic Food Plan? If they did, it is likely to be because you are either at risk of or are trying to manage cardiovascular disease. The Cardiometabolic Food Plan is specially designed for people with this concern and is one of the many lifestyle changes that can have an influence on the symptom severity and the progression of the disease.
This food plan is unique because of these key features:
- A modified Mediterranean approach
- Focus on low glycemic impact
- Targeted calories based on your medical status and unique lifestyle.
- Encourages balanced meals to balance blood sugar and energy
- Increase in fiber intake
- Reduction or removal of simple sugars
- Balanced intake of healthy fats
- Attention to condition specific phytonutrients
Within this food plan, there are specific foods that can have an influence on blood pressure. Those that can increase blood pressure and should be reduced or removed include:
- Sodium
- Processed (packaged or canned) foods and frozen meals
- Fast foods
- Soft drinks
- Added sweeteners
- Caffeinated beverages
- Alcohol
- Use of oils in high-heat cooking
Rather than focus on the foods you can’t have, it can be easier to increase the foods that will help to reduce your blood pressure. These are known as therapeutic foods and include:
- Soy
- Legumes
- Cold water fish
- Mixed nuts
- Cocoa
- Blueberries
- Garlic
- Mushrooms
- Tomatoes
- Grapefruit
- Pomegranate juice
- Olive oil
- Whole grains and complex carbohydrates
- Cinnamon
- Green tea
- Fiber
Depending on how you currently eat, making the changes to match those foods on the “approved” list can seem overwhelming. One way to make this easier is to work with a health coach to break the process down into smaller, more manageable steps. To find out more how this could work for you, schedule an inquiry call today and talk with our health coach, Erika Zink.