Qi@y Active People -4 Tips on Grocery Shopping (NAPSA)—Bylookingfor a little red heart with a white check mark while doing their grocery shopping, more people may be able to check off their goal of living a longer, healthierlife. The heart-check markis part of an American Heart Association program designed to makeit easier for people to find heart-healthy foods. The Association certifies low-fat, low-cholesterol foods to use as a first step toward a hearthealthy eating plan—andthis can be an important consideration for people who don’t have the time to scrutinize every packagelabel. After a product qualifies for certification, the manufacturer marks the package with an easily recognizable red heart with a white check mark on the packagelabel. To date, more than 500 grocery store products from 90-plus different manufacturers bear the AHA heart-check mark. A complete list of certified products is available at www.americanheart.org/food certification. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. Research has shown that dietary changes based on selecting foods low in saturated fat and cholesterol can lower blood cholesterol by 10 to 15 percent. That, in turn, can reduce the risk for heart disease by 20 to 30 percent. Consumers should be sure to discuss diet changes with their doctors to see if they have any special considerations. American Heart Association Guide to Healthy Eating To qualify for the AHA heart-check mark, a single food serving must: Belowin fat (3 gramsor less) Belowin saturated fat (1 gram orless) Be low in cholesterol (20 mgorless) Havesodium value of 480 mg orless Contain atleast 10 percent of the Daily Value of one or moreofthese essential nutrients: protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron or dietary fiber Meet the federal standard for “extra lean” (meats) Productsdisplaying the heart- Y check mark meet American Heart Association foodcriteria for saturated fat and cholesterol for healthy people over age two. @ To learn more about reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke, visit the American Heart Association Web site at americanheart.org or call 1-800-AHA-USA-1 (800242-8721). Ask for your free copy of the “Shop Smart with Heart” brochure. The American Heart Association’s Food Certification Program is for healthy people over age two. If you have a special medical condition, contact your physician or registered dietitian about your diet.
