This page will be dedicated to hearth-healthy eating to reduce or prevent atherosclerosis. The goal is to improve cholesterol levels by increasing HDL's (good cholesterol) and decreasing LDL's (bad cholesterol). Generally, this means a diet low in saturated fats, high in healthy fats (mono- and poly-unsaturated fats and omega fatty acids), and eliminating trans-fats (hydrogenated oils). Some of my recipes are rather unhealthy but delicious in its original version, so we eat these sparingly. I am also trying to adapt many of my recipes to be more heart-healthy.
Some patients are advised to reduce sodium to help manage blood pressure. Do not eat a low sodium diet unless you are advised to do so by your doctor. If you are not on a sodium-restricted diet, read food labels and try to keep your sodium levels to about 100% of the daily RDA. If needed, ways to reduce sodium include: using low or no-sodium ingredients, eliminating or reducing salt from recipes, and flavoring recipes with salt substitutes or salt-free seasoning blends. Diabetes increases your risk of heart disease, so follow your doctor's advice regarding sugar intake if you are diabetic. Even if you are not diabetic, it is still a good idea to keep the sugars in your diet to a minimum.
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How to adapt recipes and your diet to be more heart-healthy
1) Substitute butter with olive oil or a vegetable oil or a blend of oil and butter (found in margarine-type tubs). Or, eliminate butter altogether whenever possible.
2) Use lean cuts of meats and trim off visible fat and skin off meats.
3) Substitute meats with seafood, tofu, beans, nuts, or vegetarian meat substitutes.
4) Reduce or completely eliminate cheese from recipes. Cheese is the number one source of saturated fats in the American diet.
5) If you must use cheese, use low-fat or non-fat cheeses. Or, use cheese with strong flavors that require a small amount to be added to give flavor to the recipe.
6) Use low-fat milk instead of heavy creams in recipes.
7) Fill the plate up with larger portions of healthier foods, and keep the unhealthy foods to small portions.
8) Eat in and cook homemade as much as possible. Processed and fast foods tend to be unhealthy.
9) Set up a healthy snack station in a convenient spot in your kitchen: nuts, fresh and dried fruits, and nutrition bars (make sure the bars are low in saturated fats!). Get rid of unhealthy snacks in your home.
10) Eat as much fiber as possible, which helps lower bad cholesterol levels. Choose high-fiber cereals, oatmeal, soymilk or almond milk, high-fiber pastas, whole grains, nuts, beans, etc.
11) Aim for a daily amount of consuming MORE than 20 grams of fiber daily and LESS than 20 grams of saturated fats daily.
12) Eat seafood that are high in healthy fats, such as salmon, tuna, and herring.
13) Avoid all foods that have any kinds of hydrogenated fats in them. Read the labels!
14) Choose dark chocolate over milk chocolate. (But, eat sparingly due to the high saturated fat content.)
15) Soy protein is great for the heart. Choose soy-based products whenever possible.
16) Use olive oil mayonnaise and other food products that are olive oil based.
17) Make your improved diet count by adding cardiovascular exercise to your life!
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Some Hearth-Healthy Superfoods in my recipe blog
Many of my recipes can be adapted to be safe and healthier for the heart. These recipes listed here are especially healthy for the heart...
> Blueberry Smoothie
> Broccoli Slaw
> Chickpea Salad
> Fajitas with Black Beans
> Garden Pasta Stir-Fry
> Hummus
> Lemon Pepper and Dill Salmon
> Mediterranean Avocado Pasta Salad
> Salmon Loaf
> Spinach Salad
> Tomato Pesto Salmon
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Online Resources for Heart Health
> American Heart Association
> Health and Nutrition Information from Dr. Janet Brill
> In-depth article on "Fats and Cholesterol" from Harvard School of Public Health
> Mediterranean Diet Information from Oldways
> "Top 5 Lifestyle Changes to Reduce Cholesterol" (Mayo Clinic article)
