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As you may know, heart disease is the leading cause of death of men and women in the United States. The American Heart Association says about 80 million adults in the U.S. have at least one form of heart disease.

The term “heart disease” includes coronary artery disease, heart rhythm problems, heart defects, infarctions and cardiomyopathy (thickening or enlargement of the heart muscle). In the U.S., the most common type of heart disease is coronary artery disease, which can lead to heart attack.

Given the prevalence of heart disease, you would think a cure that could dramatically reduce these deaths would be big news. And yet the most effective remedy is so simple that most people can’t seem to believe it works.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, you can greatly reduce your risk for CAD through lifestyle changes and, in some cases, medication.

One of the most important lifestyle changes you can make is to embrace a heart-healthy diet. Hippocrates understood the concept more than 2,000 years ago: “Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food.”

This Wednesday at noon, internal medicine physician Dr. Charlie Petersen and Yampa Valley Medical Center registered dietitian Laura Stout will address the topic of heart-healthy eating in a program titled “Super Salads for a Healthy Heart.”

“Good nutrition is one of the critical components to preventing disease, especially heart disease,” Petersen said.

The lunchtime program will provide cost-saving super food recipes and include important ingredients to add to your kitchen cupboard. Attendees will be able to sample some delicious salads.

“We can improve our chances of successfully fighting heart disease by adding foods such as kale, a vegetable packed with nutrient richness and delicious flavor,” Stout said. “We will demonstrate some recipes that may include ingredients that are not in everyone’s kitchen but are healthy alternatives.”

By following some basic guidelines, you can begin to design heart-healthy meals at home. To do so, Stout recommends following these simple guidelines:

■ Limit unhealthy fats and cholesterol

■ Choose low-fat protein sources

■ Eat more vegetables and fruits

■ Select whole grains

■ Reduce sodium

■ Control portion size

■ Plan ahead

■ Allow yourself an occasional treat

“Even though the concept is simple, it can be hard because people don’t know how to go about it,” Petersen said. “Hopefully, by presenting new ideas and recipe options we will make it a little easier and more enticing for people to make these changes.”

Another way to make sure you’re eating a heart-healthy diet is to examine the nutrition labels on the packaged foods you buy. Nutrition labels give consumers the ability to compare foods quickly and easily.

Follow these helpful guidelines when using processed foods or eating in restaurants:

Choose lean meats and poultry. Bake it, broil it or grill it.

In a restaurant, opt for steamed, grilled or broiled dishes instead of those that are fried or sautéed.

Look on product labels for foods low in saturated fats, trans fats and cholesterol. Most of the fats you eat should come from polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, such as those found in some types of fish, nuts and vegetable oils.

Check product labels for foods high in potassium (unless you’ve been advised to restrict the amount of potassium you eat).

Rosie Kern is communications specialist at Yampa Valley Medical Center. She can be reached at rosie.kern@yvmc.org.