Spring
is here, making it the perfect time to find ways to re-think
what we eat in order to help lead us to better heart health. It’s an issue that
most of us need to pay attention to, with the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) reporting that heart disease is the leading cause of death in
the U.S. for both men and women. In fact, each year there are around 610,000
people who die from heart disease, accounting for 1 in every 4 deaths. Further,
each year there are around 735,000 Americans who have a heart attack. The good
news is that there are things we can do to help reduce our heart disease risk,
with what we eat playing an important role.
“Considering how many times
per day and week that we eat, it’s important to consider our food choices,”
says Dr. Nimali Fernando, a Fredericksburg, Virginia-based pediatrician who
founded The Doctor Yum Project.
“This is especially true when it comes to our
children, because their bodies are developing and they are learning habits that
may last a lifetime.”
According to the CDC, some
of the risk factors for heart disease include diabetes, being overweight or
obese, having a poor diet, being physically inactive, and using alcohol
excessively.
Improving the diet is likely to also help with the weight and
diabetes issues.
Here are some tips for helping to re-think your eating for
better heart health:
·
Breakfast. Reach for whole grain toast, whole grain
cereals and don’t forget a serving of vegetables and/or fruit. To get in even
more servings, try a quick and healthy fruit and veggie smoothie, like the
“Green Dragon Smoothie” featured on doctoryum.org.
·
Lunch. Pack a quick and healthy lunch that
includes items like salads, hummus and veggies, tuna salad with wholegrain
crackers or bread, or homemade low-sodium soups that you can make ahead of time
and take a couple of days in a row. The “Meal Maker Machine” on doctoryum.org has a “Souper Soup recipe”
that allows you to customize a soup recipe using ingredients on hand.
·
Dinner. Opt for seafood, which has heart-healthy
omega-3 fatty acids. Other good options include beans, salads with dressing,
quinoa, whole grains, veggie burgers, chickpeas, lentils, and filling half of
your plate with fruits and vegetables. Try to reduce processed foods, and fast
food (which is often loaded with sugar and salt), high sodium foods, and unhealthy
oils by cooking more at home.
·
Snacks. Skip the chips and cakes and opt for food
like unsalted nuts, fruits and veggies, seeds, rice cakes, bell pepper slices,
vegetables and hummus, or whole grain toast with all natural peanut butter.
·
Drinks. Leave the sugary drinks behind, and opt for
water, sparkling water, plain soymilk, unsweetened coffee and tea, or water
steeped with fruit.
·
Dining out. When dining out, opt for dishes that
are lower in sodium and fat content, such as those that are baked, grilled, or
broiled, rather than ones that are fried. Minimize the sugar intake by opting
for unsweetened beverages and sticking to mostly fruits for sugar cravings.
Choose seafood, fish, lean meats, vegetarian options, vegetable dishes, and
beans. Portion sizes for restaurant meals tend to be oversized, so box a
portion of your meal for lunch the next day.
“Heart healthy foods are
all around us, it’s just a matter of opting for them over the other ones that
are also available. Common barriers to eating healthy are cost, convenience and
taste. By following the 3 P’s (prep, plan and prioritize) these barriers can be
overcome” adds Dr. Fernando. “With some initial effort, we can all focus on
eating healthier and feeding our children better. The more people make changes
and stick to them, the more it will become a more natural habit.”
About The Doctor Yum
Project
Founded by Dr. Nimali Fernando, The Doctor Yum Project is a nonprofit
organization that is dedicated to transforming the lives of families and
communities by providing an understanding of the connection between food and
overall health, as well as empowering them with the tools to live a healthy
life. They offer a variety of community programs to help with those efforts.
They are located in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and feature an instructional
kitchen and teaching garden for holding classes. To learn more, visit the site
at: www.doctoryum.org.
