THIS SEASON, HAVE A HEART : FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT CRITICAL TO HEALTH-CONSCIOUS EATING.

Byline: Mary Ann Farrell Knight-Ridder Tribune News Wire

Last season's ``Roseanne'' finale exploded into a hard, real-life argument for many people who have heart disease.

Rather than watch her character-husband, Dan, eat himself into another possible heart attack, Roseanne walks out the door. Of course, she's back this season with Dan, and from the looks of the camera shots, Dan still seems to be eating what everybody else at the dinner and poker table does. If there's been a big diet change, it hasn't as yet appeared in the dialogue. Wouldn't it be easy if all people with heart disease could go on like Dan?

So what prompts the real-life rest of us with heart problems to keep on tossing down those french fries, chips and beer? With Thanksgiving upon us, it seems many people just can't give the heart a rest.

``It's tough,'' says Jessie G. Wright, president of a nutrition service in Columbus, Ga., and a board of directors member of the American Heart Association in Dallas. ``It's denial and it's rebellious. You don't want to give up those habits. But nagging the person with the heart condition and constantly talking about what he's eating isn't going to change anything. Your hands are tied, and it's tough on the person who has to watch. The change has to come from the individual.''

But this holiday season, you can make it a bit easier on yourself if you have a heart disability. Consider not the food but the environment in which you eat it each time you have to make a choice. For some, it can be the real difference between life and death.

``Don't bring those chips into the home,'' Wright says. ``Make the environment, where you eat, friendly toward you. Don't support bad eating habits in that environment. By the same token, we tell our clients there are not good foods and bad foods. If you love fried chicken, you can eat a piece every once in a while but just not all the time or every week or every Sunday. Keep a journal of what bad habits you lean toward and then try and find a way to correct them.''

Many of the holidays, particularly Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, are food-centered. Wright has suggestions for heart clients on getting through and still having a good time.

``Remember Christmas is just one day. It is not a month or two months long. Don't eat a whole cake but have a piece of cake on Christmas Day, for instance. And give the food you get as gifts away to other people. You can have a scrumptious, high-fat dessert on one day but then get the rest out of the house. Here again, make the environment work for you.''

Wright even suggests eating out. That way, leftovers are not hanging around, and those who know what the diet restrictions are can still follow them by making smart menu choices.

According to the American Heart Association, some of those restrictions include no more than 30 percent total daily fat from the calories consumed that day (then divided by nine, the number of calories per gram of fat). So, let's say you've consumed 1,500 for one day. That means you shouldn't have any more than 50 grams of fat (or 1,500 x .30, divided by nine, equals 50.) As for cholesterol, guidelines call for no more than 300 milligrams a day. How do you measure that? That's harder to visualize or calculate, but, for example, one egg yolk alone has about 250 milligrams of cholesterol, and the average 10-ounce steak can have 300 milligrams. Keep in mind, cholesterol is only found in animal products such as meat and eggs. Use no more than one teaspoon (or less if you can) of table salt a day.

Sugar is more complicated. There is, after all, sugar in some fruits and vegetables. The U.S. Department of Agriculture doesn't have a specific sugar intake guideline but says that of a day's calories, 55 to 60 percent should be from carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates - not sugar.

Wright says to try and avoid all processed, frozen, deli meats, fast-food and convenience products. They can have more salts, sugars and fat than the average person would suspect.

``Use garlic instead as a seasoning; parsley, onions, basil, thyme and oregano,'' Wright says. ``Most people don't know this but you can take most recipes and lighten the sugar by a third and never miss the taste. You can take the traditional cheesecake and lighten it up by 50 percent and have a wonderful holiday dessert. Use defatted cream cheese, an egg substitute product and cut the sugar by a third. Garnish it with lots of colorful fruits and you have a great dessert.''

And then there's what cardiologists call holiday heart. People with cardiac irregularities and other conditions can feel their heart beats increase with the consumption of alcohol and the caffeine found in beverages and even chocolate and cocoa.

``I had one client tell me he just abstains now,'' she says, ``because if he has one drink he can feel the irregular beat, and for him, that spoils the party. Again, this has to be a conscious choice on the part of the individual. How about a diet lemon-lime with fruit juice, nonalcoholic wine or low-salt tomato juice with lemon? How about a piece of hard candy?''

For those of you who either know people with heart conditions or have family members with heart disabilities, be kind this food season. Don't nag. Create a friendly environment. If you're having a party, serve inclusive foods such as fruits and lower-fat items everyone can eat.

And for those of you who feel you have no control, Wright suggests this book: ``Six Weeks to Get Out the Fat,'' a collaborative effort of the American Heart Association put together by Ruth Carpenter, Sara Kelling, Jane Reuhl, Janice Moss, Pat Naegele and Mary Winston (Times Books; $4.99).

If you have questions about heart-healthy diets or want some food change suggestions, information on the book, or just plain sound advice, Wright says to contact the American Heart Association, 7272 Greenville Ave., Dallas, Texas 75231.

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos, Chart

Photo: (1--Cover--Color) Heart-healthy holiday

Tips on how to survive this food-centered season

Gus Ruelas/Daily News

(2) ``Most people don't know this but you can take most recipes and lighten the sugar by a third and never miss the taste,'' says one nutritionist.

Knight-Ridder Tribune Photo Service

Chart: Our holiday eating

Plans for holiday eating and weight gain, according to a poll of 771 adults

Knight-Ridder Tribune/RON CODDINGTON