Eating for heart health Archive

Meal timing matters less than calorie balance and food quality. For some conditions, though, smaller, more frequent portions may offer advantages.

If you have high triglycerides, fruit sugar is only part of the story. Carbs, alcohol, weight, exercise, and healthy fats all influence this number.

Learn how whole grains support a healthy diet and what you should look for when selecting them.

Empty calories are calories from foods that give the body energy but almost no helpful nutrients. Sugary drinks and pastries are common examples. They can quickly add lots of calories to someone's diet and make weight gain more likely.

Food noise - persistent, distressing thoughts about food - can interfere with your daily life, but there's a lot you can do to manage it. Strategies include eating regular balanced meals, practicing mindful eating, managing stress and sleep, and seeking professional help if needed.

Pro-inflammatory foods include fried foods, sodas, refined carbohydrates, and red meat. Green vegetables, berries, whole grains, and fatty fish are thought to combat the inflammatory process.

Resistant starch causes smaller blood sugar spikes than regular starches, and feeds beneficial gut bacteria. You can increase the resistant starch content of starchy foods by cooking and chilling them, though overall diet quality matters more to blood sugar control than this trick alone.

A 2026 study found that drinking two to three daily cups of caffeinated coffee, or one to two daily cups of caffeinated tea, was linked to better cognitive health and lower risks of dementia.

A review of 17 studies found that for people at high risk of heart disease, cutting down on saturated fats may have lowered their risk of major cardiac events over the next five years, but people at lower risk did not see similar benefits.

While protein is essential to help prevent muscle loss as you age, other nutrients matter, too. Carbohydrates, magnesium, iron, omega-3 fats, and vitamin D work together to support muscle function and prevent muscle breakdown. Getting enough water is also essential for muscle performance and function.