Being overweight puts you at a much greater risk of developing heart disease. If you are currently overweight, getting back to a healthy weight is one of the best things you can do for your heart. If you are looking for a weight loss diet plan, there are a few things to look for to make sure the plan is healthy and has a good chance of success.

1. The diet plan is not restrictive.

All weight loss diets work by controlling calories, either by reducing the number of calories you eat or by increasing the number of calories you burn through physical activity, or both ideally. But to lose weight, it isn’t necessary to restrict lots of individual foods or restrict whole food groups. Plus restrictive diets are very difficult to maintain.

2. The diet plan doesn’t promise easy weight loss or a secret to weight loss.

Fad diets based on eating a single type of food that burns fat or promises to reveal a weight loss secret are just too good to be true. Losing weight isn’t easy for most people. The behavior changes that are needed to adopt a healthy weight loss diet are tough. take perseverance and time.

The real secret to most fad diets is that the actual diet plan limits calories – a necessary part of any weight loss diet. The promise of a secret weight loss food or magic ingredient is often secondary to a low calorie plan.

3. The diet plan results in a healthy rate of weight loss.

When you start a weight loss diet, you may lose weight quickly at first then plateau. But overall, a healthy rate of weight loss is about one to two pounds per week. This might sound slow, but losing much more weight per week would require a severe restriction in calories. A very low calorie diet should be followed carefully with a doctor because these diets often do not meet basic nutritional needs.

4. The diet plan includes exercise.

Pass on any weight loss plan promises easy weight loss without exercise. Burning extra calories isn’t the only heart health benefit of exercise. Exercise strengthens the heart, reduces your risk of heart disease and lifts your spirits. Building more muscle mass through regular exercise also helps your body burn calories at rest.

Finally, don’t think about a diet as a short term solution for weight loss. Instead, adopt diet habits that are both heart healthy and help you maintain a healthy weight. This way, these diet and exercise habits will become part of your overall healthy heart lifestyle. While they aren’t flashy or always easy to start, remember the basics of a heart healthy diet:

Limit foods high in saturated fat and cholesterol like fatty meats, cheese, butter and eggs.

Avoid foods with artificial trans fats. To do this read food labels for foods with 0 grams of trans fat and no hydrogenated vegetable oils. Avoid foods like baked goods restaurant fried foods – some don’t carry a food label but are often made with dangerous hydrogenated oils.

Eat many servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Try for eating five to nine servings per day. Filling your plate with these foods adds heart healthy nutrients, fiber and phytochemicals plus eating more fruits and vegetables leaves less room for unhealthy foods.

Choose whole foods over processed foods. Fresh, frozen and canned foods can be good choices. The key is to read ingredient lists to make sure that you aren’t getting highly processed and artificial ingredients. You can also avoid extra salt, fat and sugar by choosing foods without these added ingredients.

Atkins Diet Weight Loss Program not only helps you lose weight, it supports healthy cholesterol levels, lowers blood pressure and provides valuable Omega 3 Fatty Acids in its diet eating menu. Weight loss participants will be happy to know that the Atkins Diet Weight Loss Program leads to a happy weight loss, and a happy heart.

Atkins Diet Weight Loss Program, despite its high fat content, has many health benefits that promote cardiovascular health. According to the American Heart Association, heart disease affects well over 80 million people each year, at a cost estimated at over 400 billion dollars. Obesity is a major contributor to heart disease; therefore, a successful weight loss program will no doubt reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease. High cholesterol from LDL, and low cholesterol from HDL, is also dietary risk factors for heat disease. The Atkins Diet Weight Loss Program, compared to other low-carb and low-fat diets, has been scientifically proven to result in weight loss, lower Triglycerides levels (fats in blood, a contributor to heart disease), lower blood pressure, and increased HDL levels, which is the “good cholesterol” that is favorable to reducing the risk for heart disease.

These results from a notable Stanford University study were surprising to members of the scientific community that held negative presumptions about the effectiveness of the Atkins Diet Weight Loss Program. Although this particular study was one of the most thorough and conclusive studies, studies done by the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center, the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and many other medical entities have been published by the New England Journal of Medicine, and throughout the media and medical communities.

Part of the success of the Atkins Diet Weight Loss Program to promote cardiovascular health is its allowance of a high fish intake in the diet eating menus of the weight loss participants striving to lose weight. Fish naturally contains high levels of Omega 3, which is a significant benefit to overall health and a healthy heart. The National Public Health Institute of Finland has researched levels of Omega 3 in fish and reported that Fried Tuna contains 1014mg per 100 gram food portion, Halibut and Trout contain around 440mg per the same portion, and Salmon, depending on how it’s prepared, contains between 345mg and 365mg. If you’re into eclectic fishes, eel and lamprey contain the highest amounts at 1300mg, and herring, mackerel and sardines are in the top ten running between the high 700s and high 800s of milligrams. Elitists will be happy to know that dark caviar came in at number 11 at 606mgs.

The popularity and publicity of Omega 3 and its contributions to a healthy diet and weight loss programs has more than doubled over the last few years because of continuing discoveries about its health benefits. The body does not naturally produce omega 3, but it is essential for good health. Omega 3 is necessary for healthy brain cells, the nervous system, memory and learning. Deficiencies in Omega 3 have been found to contribute to several brain disorders and depression. Several science journals are reporting the possible cancer prevention benefits of Omega 3 because of its anti-inflammatory benefits. This would also be medically beneficial to arthritis, migraines, and multiple sclerosis, as well as autoimmune diseases.

Atkins Diet Weight Loss Program has many benefits, including cardiovascular health and a large allowance for foods with Omega 3 content. When choosing a diet plan, weight loss is not the only consideration. The long-term effects of cardiovascular health, as well as overall well being must also be considered. The Atkins Diet Weight Loss Program has integrated these considerations into their healthy diet eating menu plans. Healthy weight loss and a healthy heart are all possible with the Atkins Diet Weight Loss Program. It’s a healthy choice to stop fishing around for other diets and start with the Atkins Diet Weight Loss Program for healthier weight loss, and better overall health.