The Study on Dietary Habits

European researchers looked at the dietary habits of more than 450,000 people and they concluded that the people who had diets that consisted of 70% whole grains, beans, legumes, fruits, nuts, and fresh vegetables had a twenty percent lower risk of developing heart disease.
Of the people that ate the higher vegetable diet, the overall weight was lower than the weights of people who ate diets containing more meat and fewer vegetables.
The cholesterol levels in the people who ate a diet rich with more vegetables than meat were significantly lower and fewer of these people were taking cholesterol lowering medication.
The people who had diets richer in vegetables were more active and more physically fit than the individuals who ate diets rich in saturated fats and meat.

What to do

It is suggested that people begin to replace some of the red meat that they consume with fish like salmon, cold water trout, or tuna, that are high in Omega 3 fatty acids.
Eat a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and nuts, plus plenty of whole grain pastas, breads, and cereals. You do not need to become a complete vegetarian to reduce your risk of heart disease, but you need to eat more vegetables than meat products. You are recommended that you make at least 70% of your food vegetables and fruit.
You must simply replace some of the meats you eat with nuts, meat, eggs, dairy products, and vegetables.

New News

The study is not really revealing any new or revolutionary news to us. We have been hearing that diets rich in vegetables were better for our heart health for a long time. The study is reinforcing this information in hopes that people will start to heed the suggestion and become semi-vegetarian.

Easy Ways to make the Change

It is not easy for us to change our views about our food. We eat most of the things we eat because we were raised by parents that ate those foods. The foods we choose are almost a second nature to us, and when we are told to make changes we resist, and we often fail in our attempts.
One of the easiest ways to change the way Americans eat is to change the way they eat as children. Fast food restaurants and schools have to change what they serve to children as well as parents need to change what foods they serve. This will allow a generation of individuals to develop a taste for the vegetable based diet.
For older people, you can start by replacing one of the meat dinners you serve with something like a four cheese lasagna, or a pot of beans and rice. You will have to take it slow, but over time you will train yourself to eat more veggies.