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February is the start of American Heart Month. Heart disease kills nearly 9 million women per year and 8 million women are currently living with the disease. Read on to find out the best sources for information, the recipes you should be cooking and most importantly how you can take care of your own heart during the Winter months.
3 Ways to Eat Well (and Heart-Smart) from Elizabeth Somer, author of Eat Your Way to Happiness:
Try this breakfast: A whole-wheat pita stuffed with scrambled egg substitute, mixed with spinach and Cabot Vermont 50 percent Reduced Fat Cheese with DHA. Serve with a glass of low-sodium vegetable juice.
Why it’s good for your heart: This meal is low in the bad fats, rich in folate from the spinach, DHA from the fortified cheese, and antioxidants from the spinach and juice.
Lunch Break: Try a black bean and roasted vegetable burrito on a whole-grain tortilla. Serve with a bowl of watermelon chunks and a glass of orange juice fortified with calcium and vitamin D.
Why it’s good for your heart: Beans are rich in folate and soluble fiber, watermelon and vegetables are rich in antioxidants, the tortilla has DHA and fiber, and the orange juice is rich in folate, potassium, antioxidants and vitamin D.
Dinner Time: Broil a salmon fillet and serve with broccoli and red peppers. Bake a sweet potato as your healthier carb side dish. For dessert, sample some yogurt fortified with omega-3 DHA topped with sliced kiwi.
Why it’s good for your heart: Salmon and the yogurt have DHA, vegetables are rich in antioxidants, and kiwi has soluble fiber.
What else can you do to keep your heart in check?
Reach out!
Reach for the low-fat protein sources, like lean meat, poultry and fish. Opt for egg whites or egg substitutes. Choose skim milk over whole milk and always purchase skinless chicken breasts rather than fried chicken. You can always spice up your food and give it that zing you love minus the extra calories from grease and fat!
Omega-3
These fatty acids that are found in salmon and mackerel are an important part of a heart-healthy diet. Soybeans and canola oil are other great sources.
Flaxseed
Flaxseed can be sprinkled on just about any entree or side dish to give you the positive healthy benefits it contains (flaxseed is high in lignans, more than any plant food people eat). It has been known to help fight off diabetes and cancer in addition to keeping the heart healthy.
4 Ways to Keep Active:
Score with Golf
Walk On
A Quick Heart-Pumping Exercise
Ab Workout
More resources:
Heart Disease and Heredity
Resting Heart Rate
American Heart Association
Remember to always consult a doctor before beginning a new meal or diet plan, and never hesitate to ask important questions about your individual heart health.
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