We received a shipment of Rob's dad's things from New Zealand on Friday. In it were some of his recipe books and food magazines. I was flipping them and came across a few articles that are relevant to what I am trying to do with my diet at the moment (reduce ‘bad’ cholesterol).
The first, 'Smart Food', by Nikki Hart, was originally published in Essentially Food, April/May 2007. Here are the main points:
1.'Eat a Rainbow' every day! This means eat plant foods at every meal and most snacks. The carotenoids in yellow and orange fruit and vegetables have been shown to be heart protective. Eating a range of plant foods provides the maximum amount of antioxidants. Chop large pieces of fresh golden pineapple and have on hand in the fridge for a quick hear protective snack.
2. Get going with whole grains! Chewy grains and seeds are best as this slows digestion down and keeps you feeling fuller for longer - aiding weight loss. Oats are particularly good for the heart. The specific fibre beta-glucan has an enormous beneficial effect on cholesterol levels and has been shown to help prevent heart disease.
3. Boost your diet with legumes. Dried peas and beans contain a valuable source of protein that can be incorporated into the diet allowing you to eat less saturated fat in meat. Use hummus as a snack with vegetable sticks. Soy is also worth a special mention. 1-2 servings of soy protein-rich foods a day may be sufficient to provide long term benefits for the heart.
4. Favour fish - especially the oily types. The omega-3 fatty acids reduce blood clotting. Sticky, thick blood is not good for the arteries. Fresh fish such as tuna and salmon are good sources, as are canned salmon, sardines or mackerel (not canned tuna).
5. Ditch the hidden saturated fat. Swap from butter to canola or olive oil, move from full-fat to low fat milk and dairy products, choose reduced fat ice-cream, eat cheese occasionally (it is very high in fat!), and cut the visible fat off meat!
6. Go Nuts! Nuts have a good mixture of unsaturated fatty acids that are shown to be good for the heart. Ten almonds or four walnuts as a snack with fruit is an excellent way to boost protective fats for the heart.
7. Shake the salt habit! Highly processed foods such as canned soups, sauces, gravies, stocks, pre-prepared deli meats, sausages, fried foods etc are very high in salt.
8. Only use small amounts of unsaturated fats for cooking - just because it is better for you doesn’t mean you should pour it on. And ‘lite’ oil is only ‘lite’ in colour NOT calories!
Nikki’s Ultimate Heart Smart Day
* A bowl of porridge with soy milk and a sprinkle of almonds and raisins
* 1 cup pineapple chunks
* 2 x grainy bread with hummus, avocado and salad; 1/3 cup mixed nuts; 1-2 pieces fruit
* a few berries or seasonal fruit and 150ml frozen yoghurt
* 170g baked salmon on puy lentils; rocket salad with vinaigrette dressing; slow roasted tomatoes
* dried fruit and nuts
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