Facts about Mediterranean Diet and Its Benefit for Heart Health

Mediterranean diet might be right for you if you are looking for a heart-healthy eating plan which incorporates the basics of healthy eating along with a splash of flavorful olive oil and perhaps a glass of red wine among other components characterizing the traditional cooking style of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. A healthy diet should include fruits, vegetables, fish and whole grains, and limit unhealthy fats.

Heart disease makes an individual susceptible to a cardiac arrest or heart attack. These are life-threatening emergencies and a victim would require immediate treatment for survival. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency lifesaving procedure (comprising chest compressions and rescue breaths) performed when the heart stops beating (due to a cardiac arrest) and CPR administered immediately can double or triple chances of survival after cardiac arrest. Select a certified training site for acquiring training such as the AHA certified CPR Kansas City. Become certified at the end of the training classes after successfully passing a skills test and written exam. There are courses for both healthcare and non-healthcare providers.

Here’s information on a “BLSfor healthcare providers Kansas City” program:

Basic Life Support Training Classes- This course is also known as BLS for Healthcare Providers, and is intended for nursing, medical, dental, physical and occupational therapy, radiology, pharmacy, EMT’s, etc. students and employees in healthcare fields which satisfies CPR requirements for all students in healthcare and medical related school programs, and all jobs in healthcare. The duration of the entire class is about 3.5 to 4 hours.

Mediterranean Diet Benefits:

According to research, traditional Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of heart disease, which has been associated with a lower level of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol — the "bad" cholesterol that's more likely to build up deposits in your arteries. As per the meta-analysis of more than 1.5 million healthy adults, following a Mediterranean diet was linked with a reduced risk of cardiovascular mortality as well as overall mortality. Furthermore, the diet is also associated with reduced incidence of cancer, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Women can reduce their risk of breast cancer by eating a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil and mixed nuts.

All major scientific organizations encourage adults to a style of eating on similar lines with Mediterranean diet for prevention of major chronic diseases especially heart disease.

The main components of the Mediterranean diet are or the diet emphasizes eating fish and poultry at least twice a week, performing regular physical activity, restricting red meat to no more than a few times a month; eating primarily plant-based foods, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts; substituting salt with herbs and spices to flavor foods.

There are no two ways about Mediterranean diet being a delicious and healthy way to eat. Follow these tips to get started:

Consume Veggies and Fruits- Most of your meals should be made of an abundance and variety of plant foods, aim towards 7-10 servings a day of fruits and veggies.

Nuts- For a quick snack- go for nuts like almonds, cashews, pistachios and walnuts. Select natural peanut butter instead of the kind with hydrogenated fat added.

Give Up Butter- A healthy replacement for butter or margarine is olive or canola oil which can be used in cooking. You can either dip bread in flavored olive oil or lightly spread it on whole-grain bread for a tasty alternative to butter.

Fish- Make it a point to eat fish once or twice a week with some healthy choices being fresh or water-packed tuna, salmon, trout, mackerel and herring. Don’t go for fried fish, unless it's sauteed in a small amount of canola oil.

Select Low-fat Dairy- Experts advise to limit higher fat dairy products such as whole or 2 percent milk, cheese and ice cream. Switch to skim milk, fat-free yogurt and low-fat cheese instead.

Spice it up- Season your meals with herbs and spices rather than salt, they not only make food tasty but are also rich in health-promoting substances.

Contribute towards the safety of cardiac arrest victims by joining a CPR class today. To sign up for a CPR course at CPR Kansas City, call on 913-998-7499.