Heart disease is a leading cause of death in Australia, but it can also be avoided.
Dietary advice for reducing heart-disease risk includes eating a balanced diet with less saturated fat from red meats. It also means eating more fresh fruits and vegetables, more fish, less sugar and more fibre. Couple good eating habits with sufficient activity and your heart will have a greater chance of being healthy. You can make your heart even healthier by eating these foods.
- Oily fish: This includes mackerel, sardines, tuna and salmon, which all contain omega-3 fatty acids. This type of oil improves the elasticity of your blood vessels and thins your blood, making it less likely to clot.
- Vegetable oils: Corn, soy, canola and olive oil all contain good oils for the body. Use these instead of butter, which contains a lot of saturated fats.
- Fruit and vegetables: There are many antioxidants in fruit and vegetables that prevent heart disease.
- Fibre from wholegrain cereals: Fibre found in cereals and oats offers greater protection against the risk of heart attack than fibre from fruits and vegetables.
- Unrefined carbohydrates: This includes wholegrain breads, breakfast cereals and legumes. The energy these types of grains have is slow-released, meaning that your energy levels will be sustained for longer.
- Legumes and soy: Soy protein has been known to reduce the risk of cholesterol.
- Drink tea: Drinking tea, especially green tea, can help prevent the build-up of fatty acids in the arteries.
Here’s a healthy daily dietBreakfast. Unle Toby’s original rolled oats. 1 cup with 1 1/2 of water and no added salt. M’wave for 2 mins on high in a glass container.mid morning: Banana and Caro coffee substitute. (no caffeine)Lunch. Mixed lettuce leaves cut up finely. Add 2 med tomatoes (raw or canned) Add sprinkle of grated cheese and chopped up red onion. Add a lttle dressing.about 200grams of meat,fish or poultry.A cupful of mashed potato.Mid afternoon: Splurge a bit. A cake, scone, fancy biscuits. Green tea or Rosella tea. (South african roo boss, pronounce roy boss, is good)Evening meal.Pasta. Two slices of wholegrain bread and a filling or spread on each. Fruit (fresh or tinned) and yoghurt.Total Kilojoules will be around 500 if you keep the servings modest in size.