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5 Healthy Eating Tips For A Strong And Healthy Heart

Maintaining a healthy heart is paramount to overall well-being. By adopting a balanced and nutritious diet, you can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease, control blood pressure, and manage cholesterol levels. In this article, we will explore five essential eating tips to support heart health.

 

Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash

 

  1. Embrace a Plant-Based Diet

Including a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts in your daily meals forms the foundation of a heart-healthy diet. These plant-based foods are rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants, which help reduce the risk of heart disease. Aim for at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day, and choose whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, and whole wheat bread over refined grains.

  1. Limit Unhealthy Fats

Saturated and trans fats are known to raise cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease. Limit your consumption of red meat, processed meats, full-fat dairy products, and deep-fried foods, as these are high in saturated fats. Instead, opt for lean proteins like skinless poultry, fish, legumes, and tofu. Replace unhealthy fats with healthier alternatives such as olive oil, avocado, and nuts, which provide essential fatty acids that promote heart health.

  1. Reduce Sodium Intake

A high-sodium diet can lead to elevated blood pressure, increasing the strain on your heart. To keep your blood pressure in check, limit your intake of processed and packaged foods, as they often contain excessive amounts of sodium. Instead, flavour your meals with herbs, spices, and other salt-free seasonings. Be mindful of restaurant meals and processed snacks, which can be hidden sources of sodium. Opt for fresh, home-cooked meals whenever possible.

  1. Choose Heart-Healthy Proteins

Protein is an essential nutrient, but not all sources are equally beneficial for heart health. Fatty cuts of meat and full-fat dairy products can contribute to high cholesterol levels. Opt for lean protein sources such as fish, skinless poultry, beans, lentils, and low-fat dairy products. Fish, especially those rich in omega-3 fatty acids like salmon, tuna, and sardine, provide additional heart-protective benefits.

  1. Watch Your Portion Sizes and Added Sugars

Controlling portion sizes is vital for maintaining a healthy weight and managing heart health. Be mindful of your calorie intake and avoid overeating. Additionally, limit your consumption of sugary foods and beverages, as excessive sugar intake has been linked to increased risk of heart disease. Choose natural sugars found in fruits and minimize the consumption of sugary snacks, sodas, and desserts.

 

In conclusion, adopting a heart-healthy diet is a crucial step towards maintaining a strong and healthy heart. By incorporating these five eating tips into your lifestyle, you can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease, keep blood pressure in check, and manage cholesterol levels. Remember, small changes in your eating habits can have a big impact on your heart health. Consult with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian for personalized advice and guidance on creating a heart-healthy eating plan that suits your specific needs. Start prioritizing your heart health today for a healthier tomorrow.

 

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5 Dietitian-approved Foods To Fight Inflammation

By Sally Shi-po POON (Registered Dietitian)

Inflammation can be a long-term physiologic response to environmental toxins, infection, poor nutrition, stress, and aging. Chronic inflammation causes damage to body cells and eventually lead to diseases such as cancers, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, depression, and Alzheimer’s disease. Studies have found that some nutrients from natural foods are safe and effective to help combat inflammation in the body. Here are 5 anti-inflammatory foods that I suggest:

1. Salmon
Salmon is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids that have been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties. A study found women who ate more omega-3 had lower levels of inflammatory markers in the blood reflecting lower levels of inflammation, which might explain in part the effects of these fatty acids in preventing cardiovascular disease. The American Heart Association recommends eating fish (particularly fatty fish) at least two servings a week, each serving is 3.5 ounces cooked. Other fatty fish like albacore tuna, herring, lake trout, mackerel, and sardines are also high in omega-3 fatty acids.

2. Beans
Beans are rich in dietary fibre, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory compounds, which help lower the levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), one of the key markers of inflammation in the blood. Studies have found that a high fibre diet helps to reduce CRP levels. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains also contain plenty of dietary fibre and antioxidants, which can fight inflammation.

3. Walnuts
Walnuts are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, dietary fibre, and phytonutrients that can protect against inflammation and promote healthy aging. Although nuts and seeds have anti-inflammatory benefits, they are high in calories so be mindful of portion sizes. Whilst the number of nuts per serving varies by type, a typical serving is 1 ounce (about 1/4 cup) or a small handful. One ounce of English Walnuts equals 14 halves.

4. Extra virgin olive oil
Extra virgin olive oil is the fresh juice that is squeezed directly from the olive fruit, it is credited as being one of the healthful components of the Mediterranean diet. Extra virgin olive oil is not refined or extracted using chemicals or heat, leaving it high in natural antioxidants, such as oleocanthal, which have significant anti-inflammatory properties. Although olive oil has lots of health benefits and tastes good in salad or pasta, it is energy dense so eating too much can cause weight gain. The healthy eating guideline recommends using 4 to 6 teaspoons of oil in your cooking or salad dressing a day.

5. Turmeric
Turmeric is very popular in grocery stores lately due to its promising anti-inflammatory benefit. Curcumin is the key active compound in turmeric but its absorption is poor. Consuming curcumin with some black pepper and healthy oils can enhance its absorption. It goes well with grains, beans, vegetables and white meats; and can enhance the flavour of soups and stews.

Extra tips on anti-inflammatory eating:
Foods that contribute to inflammation are the same ones generally considered bad for our health, including deep-fried foods, sugar-sweetened drinks, refined carbohydrates (such as white bread and pastries), red meat and processed meats. In general, an anti-inflammatory diet means your plate is dominated by a variety of colourful fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, nuts and healthy oils.

Sally’s Nutrition Blog @ Hong Kong Tatler: https://hk.asiatatler.com/life/5-dietitian-approved-foods-to-fight-inflammation

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Why A Colourful Diet Is Good For You

By Sally Shi-po POON (Registered Dietitian)

We’re always hearing that we should “eat the rainbow”, but what does that mean and why is a colourful diet so highly recommended by dietitians all over the world? Not only are they appealing, the phytochemicals that give foods their colour are packed with nutritional benefits. I have grouped the foods into 5 categories according to their predominant phytochemical group: red, orange, green, purple, and white.

 

1. Red

Lycopene is the predominant pigment in red fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, watermelon and pink grapefruits. It is a powerful antioxidant that may help prevent prostate cancer and heart diseases. Lycopene is better absorbed when it is cooked with some oil, such as tomato sauce with olive oil.

 

Astaxanthin, which is found in the red pigment of crab, salmon and prawns, has been found to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Its antioxidant activity was found to be 10 times more than zeaxanthin, lutein and beta-carotene.

 

2. Orange

Beta-carotene is a pigment found in yellow and orange fruits and vegetables, such as carrot, cantaloupe melon, mangoes, orange peppers, pumpkin, and sweet potatoes. In the body, beta-carotene converts into vitamin A, which is needed for good vision, a strong immune system, and healthy skin. Food processing and cooking help release beta-carotene from the food matrix and make it easier to absorb. Moreover, its absorption requires the presence of fat in a meal, such as canola oil, almonds, flaxseed or pumpkin seeds.

 

3. Green

Green cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, and kale are good sources of sulforaphane and glucosinolate, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.  These vegetables also contain lutein and zeaxanthin, which may help protect eyes from sunlight damage and reduce the risk of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. Lutein and zeaxanthin are better absorbed with fats, so be sure to eat the vegetables with some avocado, cheese, walnuts, sunflower seeds or olive oil. Green vegetables are also excellent sources of vitamin K and folic acid. Folic acid helps prevent neural tube defects during pregnancy, and vitamin K plays a major role in blood clotting.

 

4. Purple

Anthocyanins are pigments that appear purple or blue, which are found in eggplant (especially the skin), blueberries, blackberries, prunes, plums, black rice, purple sweet potato, and purple cauliflower. The darker the colour, the higher the anthocyanins concentration. Boiling vegetables can increase the loss of water-soluble nutrients such as anthocyanins and vitamin C, therefore baking and steaming are preferred as they can retain more of the nutrients, as well as the flavour and colour.

 

5. White

Anthoxanthins are the white or colourless pigments found in bananas, cauliflower, garlic, shallots, mushrooms, onions, parsnips, and turnips, which may help reduce the risk of heart disease.  Garlic contains allicin, which has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and heart-protective properties. Allicin is produced when fresh garlic is finely chopped or crushed. Garlic provides an alternative to salt in cooking, along with other herbs and spices. Eating less salt is important for preventing high blood pressure, heart attacks and stroke.

 

Including a variety of colourful foods in your diet seems to equal better overall health.  Start planning some colourful recipes tonight and have a healthy start in 2018!

 

Sally’s Nutrition Blog @ Hong Kong Tatler:  https://hk.asiatatler.com/life/why-a-colourful-diet-is-good-for-you#page-1

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