Stop the presses! For the first time a major health organisation has released a set of heart-healthy guidelines and it’s prudent for the populace to sit up and pay attention!

The American Heart Association has released diet and lifestyle recommendations aimed at increasing the level of health and fitness in the country with, of course, particular emphasis on the reduction and prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Alice Lichtenstein, a Tufts University nutrition expert who chaired the guidelines panel in this study recommends balancing calories consumed with calories burned through exercise as the most important aspect of a healthy lifestyle (sounds familiar?!). She goes on to say: “The previous recommendations stressed a healthy dietary pattern; the new ones broaden that concept to include the importance of a healthy lifestyle pattern. The two go together — they should be inseparable.”

“Total fat reduction alone is not the only answer. It is important what kind of fat you eat,” said Linda Van Horn, a Northwestern University dietitian who helped draft the guidelines.

-Via Washington Post

More than 90 scientific publications were reviewed by a panel of nutrition and cardiovascular disease experts for the new American Heart Association recommendations and here are some of the major recommendations from the study (regular Fitness Mantra readers, prepare for some serious déjà vu):

1. Use up at least as many calories as you take in.
2. Eat a variety of nutritious foods from all the food groups.
3. Eat less of the nutrient-poor foods.
4. Get atleast 1/2 hour of exercise a day.
5. Limit trans fats to 1% and saturated fats to 7% (down from 10%) of total calories consumed.

For a detailed description of these pointers read the AHA 2006 Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations

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