News release
NORTH PLATTE — With American Heart Month underway, Dr. Azariah Kirubakaran, interventional cardiologist, Great Plains Health Heart Institute, encourages patients to give their heart some love. Nourishing your body with what you eat helps fight against heart disease and other conditions, and even the smallest of diet changes make a big impact.
Dr. Kirubakaran says that diet preferences are unique to each person, and that you need to find healthy eating habits that work for your palate and lifestyle. Dr. Kirubakaran himself aims to follow guidelines from the American College of Cardiology, which studied different healthy diets across the world, and observed that the healthiest of populations eat large amounts of fruits, vegetables and fish.
While the American College of Cardiology’s recommendation is to eat eight servings of fruits and vegetables a day, and six servings of fish a week, Dr. Kirubakaran encourages patients to start on a smaller scale.
“Pick one or two fruits or vegetables that you like, and go on the internet to find a recipe and fix it to your liking,” said Dr. Kirubakaran. “You feel better when you eat better, and you will want to start eating more fruits and vegetables.”
Dr. Kirubakaran says a Mediterranean-style diet is similar to the recommendations from the American College of Cardiology. The American Heart Association says that a Mediterranean-style diet includes the following:
• plenty of fruits, vegetables, bread and other grains, potatoes, beans, nuts and seeds;
• olive oil as a primary fat source; and
• dairy products, eggs, fish and poultry in low to moderate amounts.
“Change one thing at a time,” said Dr. Kirubakaran. “Try even two or three helpings of vegetables. If you hate it, then you will go back to your original diet, so find healthy recipes that you like and go from there. The important thing to remember is that it is not a diet for one or two days. It is a change for the rest of your life. Think about what you
eat in that sense. Changes should come from your mind and heart. Come up with a plan that is unique and individual.”
Dr. Kirubakaran says that what you eat can be powerful for your wellbeing, and that he sees a noticeable difference in patients who prioritize whole foods for a healthy heart.