Houston Cardiovascular Associates Houston Cardiovascular Associates

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Quick Tips: Making Healthier Food Choices

Getting Started

Eating a variety of foods can help you get all the nutrients you need. These include whole grains, lean protein foods, vegetables, fruits, and low-fat dairy.

You can still enjoy your favorite foods and make healthy eating choices. If your favorite foods are high in fat, salt, sugar, or calories, limit how often you eat them. Eat smaller servings, or look for healthy substitutes.

Use this chart as a guide for making healthier choices.

Healthier food choices

Food groups

Choose this:

Limit this:

Protein foods

  • Lean ground beef or turkey
  • Meats with fat trimmed
  • Skinless poultry
  • Baked, broiled, or poached fish or shellfish
  • Beans, tofu, nuts
  • Regular ground beef
  • Fatty or highly marbled cuts of meat, spare ribs, organ meat
  • Poultry with skin, fried chicken
  • Fried fish, fried shellfish
  • Lunch meat, bologna, salami, bacon, sausage, hot dogs

Dairy products

  • Low-fat (1%) or fat-free milk
  • Low-fat or fat-free yogurt
  • Low-fat cheese and cottage cheese
  • Fortified plant-based milk products, such as soy milk
  • Low-fat or fat-free sour cream
  • Whole milk, 2% milk, cream, nondairy creamer, half-and-half, whipping cream, whipped topping
  • Whole-milk yogurt
  • Most cheeses, cottage cheese, and cream cheese
  • Sour cream

Fats and oils

  • Canola, olive, or peanut oil
  • Oils that are naturally present in foods like nuts, seeds, avocados, and olives
  • Coconut or palm oil
  • Butter, stick margarine, lard, shortening
  • Fat from meats, such as bacon

Grains

  • Whole-grain breads, cereals, and pasta
  • Corn tortillas
  • Wild rice or brown rice
  • Air-popped popcorn
  • Whole-grain crackers
  • White breads and pasta
  • Cereals and granolas with a lot of added sugar
  • White rice
  • Snack crackers

Fruits and vegetables

  • Fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables
  • Canned fruits that are in natural juices (not heavy syrup)
  • Canned vegetables without added salt (labeled "no salt added" or "low sodium")
  • Steamed, sautéed, microwaved, or roasted vegetables
  • Fried vegetables
  • Vegetables cooked with butter, cream, or cheese sauce
  • Fruit juice

Drinks

  • Sparkling water
  • Water with a slice of lemon or lime added
  • Other drinks with little or no added sugar, such as unsweetened tea
  • Sugar-sweetened beverages, such as soda, juice, and energy drinks
  • Sports drinks
  • Coffee drinks with added sugars, such as a mocha
  • Alcoholic beverages

Credits

Current as of: October 7, 2024

Author: Ignite Healthwise, LLC Staff
Clinical Review Board
All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.

Current as of: October 7, 2024

Author: Ignite Healthwise, LLC Staff

Clinical Review Board
All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.

Dear patient

I am excited to announce that I will be relocating my practice to Houston Methodist DeBakey Cardiology Associates. Starting November 4, 2024, my new address will be:

Houston Methodist DeBakey Cardiology Associates
6550 Fannin St.
Smith Tower, Suite 1901
Houston, TX 77030

Please note that my phone number and fax number will also change to the following:
24-Hour Telephone: 713-441-1100
Fax: 713-790-2643
Clinical Support Telephone (M-F, 8-5): 713-441-3515

I am excited about caring for you in my new office and hope you will make the transition with me. I will also continue to refill your medications as I have in the past. To assist, please provide your pharmacy with my new contact information.

Please consider checking your prescription refills to verify that you have enough medication on hand to last you until your next visit. Please note that your medical records will remain at my former office until you authorize their transfer. If you choose for me to continue providing your medical care, please complete and sign the enclosed “Authorization for Release of Medical Records” form and fax it to 713-790-2643. Once we receive your authorization, we will be happy to process the request for you.

Thank you for entrusting me with your medical care. My new team and I are dedicated to making this transition as seamless as possible. For help scheduling an appointment and transitioning your care, please call my new office number above.

I look forward to continuing your care at my new location.

Sincerely,
Gopi A. Shah, MD

Dear patient

Dr. Albert Raizner, Dr. Michael Raizner, and Dr. Mohamed El-Beheary are excited to announce that our practice, Interventional Cardiology Associates, will merge with Houston Cardiovascular Associates on November 1, 2024.

Our new offices are similarly located in Houston, near the Texas Medical Center and in Sugar Land. Our in-hospital care will continue at Houston Methodist Hospital in the Texas Medical Center and Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital. Importantly, our new offices expand our services with state-of-the-art equipment and amenities. Our core values will always be, as they began over 40 years ago when Dr. Albert Raizner founded ICA:

Integrity – Compassion – Accountability

Our new address and contact information are:

Your medical records are confidential and remain available at our new locations. We consider it a privilege to serve as your cardiologists and look forward to your continuing with us. However, should you desire to transfer to another physician, you may request a copy of your records by contacting us at our new addresses and phone numbers listed above.

We thank you for your trust and loyalty. As always, we will continue to be here to take care of you. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Dr. Albert Raizner,
Dr. Michael Raizner,
Dr. Mohamed El-Beheary