While heart disease has been seen as a “man’s disease” it is now the leading cause of death among women in the United States. In 2005, more than 454,000 women died of heart disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. No matter what age you are, it is important to make lifestyle changes to lower the risk for heart disease. Along with being physically active and smoke-free, diet is a key way to promote heart health.

February is American Heart Month and Feb. 6 is National Wear Red Day. The American Heart Association encourages all Americans to wear red to help raise awareness of heart disease.

A study published in the Journal of the American Dietetics Association showed that following a Mediterranean diet is one way a person can lower the risk of heart disease. This study helps to validate the results of the Lyon Diet Heart Study. The Lyon study showed that after an average of 46 months (almost four years), patients following the Mediterranean-style diet had a 50 to 70 percent lower risk of recurrent heart disease.

While there’s no one typical “Mediterranean” diet, all include common characteristics, including: a diet that is high in fruits, vegetables, whole grain bread cereals, potatoes, beans, nuts and seeds and includes olive oil as an important source of monounsaturated fat; dairy products, fish and poultry are consumed in low to moderate amounts; little red meat is eaten; and eggs are consumed zero to four times a week.

It is believed that the Mediterranean diet reduces cardiovascular risk because people who follow the average Mediterranean diet eat less saturated fat than those who eat the average American diet. More than half the fat calories in a Mediterranean diet come from monounsaturated fats (mainly from olive oil). According to the American Heart Association, monounsaturated fat doesn’t raise blood cholesterol levels the way saturated fat does.

In 2006, the American Heart Association released recommendations similar to the Mediterranean diet, to help reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. It is recommended that a person balance calorie intake and physical activity to achieve or maintain a healthy body weight. Consume a diet rich in vegetables and fruits. Choose whole-grain, high-fiber foods. Consume fish, especially oily fish, at least twice a week. Limit your intake of saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol. Minimize your intake of beverages and foods with added sugars. Choose and prepare foods with little or no salt. If you consume alcohol, do so in moderation.

By making simple lifestyle changes that include exercise and healthy eating, we can decrease our risk for heart disease and live long healthy lives.

Melissa Black is a registered dietitian who lives in Erda and currently works for Intermountain Healthcare. She received her bachelor’s degree in nutrition and food science from Utah State University.