Do you sometimes skip breakfast? Or grab a not-so-healthy lunch on the go? New advice from the American Heart Association (AHA) comes just in time for American Heart Month, and it may inspire us to take a good look at our current eating habits.
To support a healthy heart and help reduce the risk of obesity and related conditions, the AHA recommends eating mindfully, which involves paying close attention to what we eat and when we eat. It may sound simple, but doing so is often the first step toward recognizing unhealthy patterns and adopting healthier ones.
Among the recommendations laid out by the AHA is eating a healthy breakfast, which studies show supports healthy blood sugar levels throughout the day. Along those lines, AHA experts recommend consuming the bulk of our total calories earlier in the day to help reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Setting aside time to enjoy meals without distractions is beneficial also, according to the AHA statement. “All activities have a place in a busy schedule, including healthy eating and being physically active,” said writing group chair Marie-Pierre St-Onge, PhD in a news release. “Those activities should be planned ahead of time and adequate time should be devoted to them.”
Sources:
http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/early/2017/01/30/CIR.0000000000000476
http://www.cardiovascularbusiness.com/topics/practice-management/aha-statement-recommends-planning-timing-meals-decrease-cardiovascular-disease-risk
http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2017/01/31/Timing-of-your-meals-might-reduce-heart-risks/5091485882441/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2017/01/31/eating-breakfast-and-eating-mindfully-may-help-the-heart/#475374bb58ac
