DIETING a red flag for… HEART DISEASE?!

Eating a healthy diet on a consistent basis is one of the BEST things you can do for your body… especially your heart.

But seriously, eating quality, nutritious food ensures you’re getting plenty of vital nutrients like protein, vitamins, and minerals that help ensure PROPER heart function.

But sometimes eating well just ISN’T that easy.

And it’s not because you don’t know that it’s good for you…

It’s because these days there are more FAD DIETS than you can count on two hands! And everyone seems to have an opinion on which is best or most effective.

While there’s nothing wrong with tinkering with diets and finding out what works best for you and your body, studies have found that using certain extreme diets or eating plans can lead to a major lack of vital nutrients that can set you up for HEART DISEASE.

If you’re currently dieting (fad or not), you’re gonna want to read this…

A study published by the European Society of Cardiology reveals that not getting enough IRON in your diet can INCREASE your risk of heart disease.

Iron is a vital nutrient for your body because helps make hemoglobin – a component of red blood cells that carries oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body.

But when you don’t get enough iron, your heart pumps harder, which puts you at a higher risk of heart attacks and strokes down the road.

Not getting enough iron can also lead to anemia – which is a direct result of a drop in red blood cells. Anemia is very serious as it can cause fatigue, pale skin, dizziness, weakness, and even heart failure!

And unfortunately, with the rise of restrictive diets, this means more and more folks aren’t getting enough iron.

Many fad diets require you to ‘eliminate’ foods like red meat – which is one of the best sources of iron.

Now, I’m not here to tell you to follow a specific diet… but I am here to tell you no matter what diet (or eating plan) you choose, it’s important that you’re eating enough iron-rich foods!

And even if you’re choosing to cut out red meat, there are plenty of healthy, iron-rich foods out there.

One of my favorite ‘non-red meat’ foods that’s high in iron is tuna.

Just a three-ounce serving of canned tuna contains about 1.4 mg of iron, which is well within the daily recommended amount of iron.

Tuna is also packed with healthy omega-3 fatty acids, which studies have shown are good for your heart, your brain, and your immune system.

Because tuna contains mercury, it can be dangerous to eat TOO much of it. So, don’t eat it with every meal. But a few times per week is just fine.

To a balanced diet,

Sarah Reagan

Sources:

Rapaport, Lisa. “Low Iron in Midlife May Boost Risk for Heart Disease.” https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/961575?src=

Mann, Denise. “Changing Diets Mean More Americans Are Anemic Now.” https://consumer.healthday.com/8-4-changing-diets-mean-more-americans-are-anemic-now-2654245136.html