Kern Legacy Health Plan | A Legacy of Good Health | Spring 2022

EDUCATE YOURSELF Certain dietary counseling may be pay- able as a Preventive Care (wellness) service in accordance with ACA require- ments. As a preventive counseling ben- efit in compliance with ACA, your Plan covers dietary/nutrition services for adults and children who are overweight or obese and have additional cardiovas- cular disease or diabetes risk factors. Speak with your physician to see if you would benefit from these services. Stock your kitchen with heart-healthy foods What is one of your best weapons against heart disease? It’s a kitchen stocked with heart-smart foods. That’s because healthy eating is right up there with exercising, watching your weight and not smoking when it comes to lowering your risk for heart problems. And eating foods that are good for your heart is a lot easier when you regularly have them on hand. What’s in your kitchen? Take a peek inside your pantry, freezer and fridge. Is it heart-smart? For starters, it should in- clude some of these types of foods: Nontropical vegetable oils (like olive, corn or canola). Use these for cooking meals or making salads. Compared to solid fats—like butter, shortening and hard margarine—these veg- etable oils are lower in artery-clogging saturated fat. Lean proteins, including fish. If you eat meat, choose leaner, healthier cuts. Every kitchen should have veggie proteins, too, so you can go meatless at least some of the time. For instance, when shopping for proteins, consider choosing: ● Chicken, especially skinless chicken breasts. ● Beans, peas, lentils or tofu. ● Peanut butter. ● Salmon—with its omega-3 oils, it may help protect your heart. ● Lean cuts of red meats, like round, loin or sirloin. Frozen or canned fruits and vegetables. Sure, fresh produce tastes best. But frozen or canned versions are easy to use, usually cheaper and longer-lasting (that’s less waste!). Best of all, they can be just as nutritious as fresh. Just be sure to buy canned veggies or beans with the least amounts of sodium or salt, canned fruits packed in water or 100% juice, and frozen veg- gies without sauces. Whole-grain versions of bread, pasta, tortillas and other foods. Don’t be fooled by the word multigrain . Make sure a whole grain is listed as the first ingredient. ● Fat-free or low-fat dairy products. These versions of milk, yogurt, cottage cheese and sour cream also have less cholesterol and fewer calories than whole milk and other full-fat dairy products. Source: American Heart Association Fish (2–3 servings weekly) MEDITERRANEAN Savor the FOR A HEALTHIER HEART EVERYDAY EATS LIMIT OR AVOID Fruits and vegetables Whole grains Beans, legumes and nuts Olive oil for preparing foods Eggs Low-fat dairy foods Poultry Sweets Red meat ENJOY—DAILY OR WEEKLY