Fit and Well Idaho: Keeping your heart healthy through your diet

TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — February is almost over, which means the month recognizing heart health is too, but taking care of your heart is a year round responsibility.

A healthy heart includes regular exercise, but it also means eating a healthy diet, and for dietician Abbigail Sundell with St. Luke’s, the most important factor in keeping your heart healthy.

The most important factor in a healthy diet is fiber.

Adults should be eating 25 to 30 of fiber a day.

Food that are rich in fiber include beans and lentils, broccoli, berries, whole grains, apples and nuts.

“I would say it’s just the most under appreciated component of a balanced diet, especially in relation to heart health and it’s a really easy way to make changes to your diet, just making little changes to your diet, just making those little changes to the whole grains, those whole fruits and vegetables,” said Sundell, a dietician.

She says eating the actual fruits and vegetables is better than fiber supplements, but she says supplements are better than nothing.

Copyright 2023 KMVT. All rights reserved.