Advertisement
Diet

The healthy heart diet plan: Eight eating tips

Nine in 10 Canadians have at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease or stroke. Show your ticker some love with these quick, easy tips
The healthy heart diet plan: Eight eating tips

Andreas Trauttmansdorff

Eat fish

Fresh fish contains high levels of omega-3s, and research suggests these fatty acids can lower your heart attack risk. So cast a line and reel in a cold-water wonder like salmon, trout or sardines.

Bottom line: Eat fish at least twice a week to keep your ticker happy.

Santa Fe Grilled Salmon
Prep: 10 min. Total: 20 min.
1/2 to 1 jalapeno pepper 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro 2 limes 2 tbsp olive oil 1/2 tsp salt 1 avocado 4 salmon fillets, each 180 to 250 g and about 1 1/2 in. thick 1/2 salsa, preferably chunky
Lightly oil grill and heat barbecue to medium-high. Core and seed jalapeno. If you like hot peppers, use whole jalapeno. If not, use only have and refrigerate or freeze other half. Finely mince jalapeno. Place in a small bowl. Add cilantro. Squeeze 1/3 cup juice from limes and add. Stir in olive oil and salt. Slice avocado in half. Discard pit, then peel. Thinly slice.
Brush tops and sides of fish with a little oil. Place fish, skin-side up, on grill. Barbecue, lid closed, 5 minutes. Turn over and continue grilling until a knife tip inserted into centre of fish comes out warm, 5 to 10 more min, depending on thickness of fish. Place salmon on dinner plates. Drizzle with jalapeno mixture. Spoon salsa overtop. Finish with avocado slices, then drizzle with more jalapeno mixture.

Serves 4 Per serving: 393 calories, 27 g protein, 7 g carbs, 29 g fat, 3 g fibre, 434 mg sodium

Plate of salmon and riceAndreas Trauttmansdorff

Think positively

Behold the power of positive thinking: It can strengthen your heart! Duke University researchers followed thousands of cardiac patients post-op and discovered the most optimistic among them were 30 percent less likely to die from a heart-related condition over the next 15 years.

Bottom line: "Positive expectations can make you feel better and help you live longer," confirms John C. Barefoot, the study's lead author.

Woman holding a red heartMasterfile

Advertisement

Eat more potassium

High levels of potassium (aim for 4,700 mg a day) help our kidneys flush out sodium, a major culprit in the growing incidence of heart disease.
Try it today: Stock your shopping cart with potassium-packed papayas, bananas, apricots, cantaloupes and sweet potatoes.

PapayasMasterfile

Brew and cook with tea

Three cups of tea a day can drive down your risk of having a heart attack by over 10 percent. That's because green, white and black tea leaves are from a plant called Camellia sinensis, which is known for its high concentrations of disease-fighting catechins. These compounds appear to stop bad cholesterol in its tracks.
Make it a habit: Add brewed tea to gravies, sauces and marinades for an extra kick, and use leaves to boost flavour in fish and chicken rubs.

Cup of tea with tea bagKevin Twomey/Getty Images

Eat garlic for immunity

Garlic bulbs have some serious disease-fighting powers. The chemicals that give cloves their scent can prevent blood platelets from clotting and may lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Want the benefits without the breath? Consider a supplement (Health Canada recommends 600 to 900 mg a day).

Cloves of garlicPhoto, Getty Images.

Advertisement

Opt for dark chocolate

Flavonoids are having their moment. These phytochemicals strengthen the heart by helping open and relax tight blood vessels with their potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-clotting properties.

Try it today: Go for purple grapes, berries, apples, broccoli and (we love this one!) a daily small square of dark chocolate with 70 percent cocoa solids.

Stack of dark chocolate piecesMasterfile

Meatless Mondays

If you thought gridlock on your morning commute was a killer, imagine what waxy plaque from bad cholesterol can do to the superhighways inside you. You've got about 60,000 miles of blood vessels running throughout your body, which send oxygen-rich blood to vital organs.

Make it a habit: Skipping meat just one day a week could lower your saturated-fat intake by 15 percent. Even better, make sure you eat at least two servings of fruits and vegetables at every meal: A recent study from McMaster University found daily doses of fruits and veggies could help switch off one of the strongest DNA markers for heart attacks. Aim for up to 10 servings a day.

VegetablesMasterfile

Make a healthy smoothie

In a lab at the University of Strasbourg in France, scientists put down their beakers, picked up their blenders and developed a mocktail to cut the risk of heart disease. Seven fruit juices, packed with free-radical-fighting polyphenols, were shown to improve blood flow to the heart.

Make it at home: Blend your own 200-mL elixir of long life from 30 purple grapes, 15 blueberries, nine strawberries, eight lingonberries, five acerola berries, five blackberries and half an apple.

Get more tips for fighting heart disease here.

Blueberry smoothies(Photo, Richard Jung/Foodpix/Getty Images)

GET CHATELAINE IN YOUR INBOX!

Subscribe to our newsletters for our very best stories, recipes, style and shopping tips, horoscopes and special offers.

By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.

Advertisement
Advertisement