Posts Tagged ‘3 Fatty Acids’
If there’s one lifestyle choice we’re all well aware of, it’s our food choices and the benefits of a good diet plan. Heart disease is, unfortunately, much more common than it was 50 years ago. It’s generally agreed that the rise in heart disease conditions is largely the result of poor diets and a lack of regular exercise. Too many meals at the fast food places, along with processed, prepared foods contribute heavily. Although we all lead busy lives, we should all strive for healthier meal plans that help prevent heart disease, so we can live longer, busy lives! So what constitutes a heart healthy diet, which is also realistically do-able?
Before we get into that, let’s take a brief look at why the typical American diet is bad for us. Fast food places are not renowned for their nutritional value. While that burger and fries makes a quick, convenient and tasty meal, it’s also heavy on salt and sugar and fats of the wrong kind, e.g. trans, partially hydrogenated and saturated fats. Processed and highly refined foods contain loads of additives you can’t even pronounce and worse yet, don’t know what they do to your body, once consumed. Prepared foods are fast, but for purposes of consumer taste bud appeal, generally contain plenty of salt and sugar. All of these factors contribute to heart disease. So, it’s a no-brainer. A heart healthy diet is good!
You may well say, “I don’t have time to spend hours over the stove!” The truth is, there are so many foods you can prepare in minutes, or spend 5 minutes preparing and just put in the oven for an hour and then serve. The slow cooker is another device that makes an entire meal, ready to serve when you walk in the door tonight.
For example, cold water fish, such as salmon, bass and halibut require nothing more than putting on a plate in the microwave and about 3-5 minutes cooking time. These fish are low in fat and calories, but high in the Omega-3 fatty acids, which should be a staple in your heart healthy diet plan. A whole chicken can be baked in the oven in an hour, with little fat remaining and plenty of protein. A boneless chicken breast can be cut in slices, marinated in olive oil and seasonings and sauteed in minutes. How about the slow cooker? Put a chicken on top of a heap of chopped veggies and walk away. Ready to eat when you get home. Do the same with a pork loin roast. A roast of Angus beef, with no hormones, antibiotics, additives and all of those other bad things, cooks to delicious and tender perfection in the slow cooker.
So, you say, “What about the rest of the meal?” Frozen veggies require almost zero effort, cook in minutes and contain those most valuable nutrients and enzymes necessary to a heart healthy diet program. Antioxidants galore, trace minerals, lots of fiber and no fat. What more could your heart desire? A salad, made of your choice of fresh greens and other veggies, can be made and eaten while that chicken is baking.
Whole grains are an important component of the heart healthy diet. Instead of plain white bread, start including some whole grain breads. These breads contain important, otherwise hard to get nutrients, which are stripped out of the refined white flour. Brown and wild rice are healthier than white. Use pasta made with Durum wheat for a healthier meal.
As for cooking oil, olive oil has no cholesterol. Many studies have concluded that olive oil is a major reason that people on a Mediterranean diet have very low rates of heart disease.
Try to frequently include fruit as the dessert on your menu. Wash and eat!
So, it’s easy to see that heart healthy diets of food you prepare need not take any more of your time than required to drive by the fast food place or nuke a prepared meal. Besides, in addition to a heart healthy menu, you’re saving gas. Who can argue with that kind of incentive? To your good health!