Ways to keep your heart healthy

WAYS TO KEEP YOUR HEART HEALTHY

• Regular physical activity and do something you love because then you are more likely to stick with it
• Don’t smoke and if you do, work out a strategy to quit gaining support of a medical professional and loved ones to help you kick the habit
• Diet yes diet – how can this not have an impact when most of us eat three times a day minimum

A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT DIET AND YOUR HEART …

So what is a Heart Healthy diet? It is a simple diet conducive to general health and wellbeing that incorporates real wholesome foods in your diet. Start with these simple strategies:

• Aim to eat a variety of nutrient-dense foods every day
• Eat a rainbow of colourful fruit and vegetables daily
• Go for the wholegrain cereals and grains rather than refined flour and processed baked products (you know the ones – you recognise none of the ingredients in the ingredients list)
• Choose low or reduced fat dairy products
• Choose unsaturated plant oils in place of butter when preparing foods
• Opt for nuts and seeds for snacks rather than snacks lacking a nutrient punch
• Remove fat from meat and take the skin off poultry to reduce saturated fat

DID YOU KNOW?

It seems a useful strategy to reduce the risk of heart disease is to opt for plant oils high in polyunsaturated fats rather than butter which is predominantly saturated fat. Currently New Zealanders eat too much saturated fat. By reducing your saturated fat intake and replacing it with unsaturated fats, in particular polyunsaturated fats you will reduce the risk of Heart disease.

SO TO ACTION THIS …

A fantastic addition to your diet would be hemp seed oil which contains a whopping 75% polyunsaturated fat. Just make sure you look after your oil just like your heart. Due to that content of polyunsaturated fat these oils are unstable at high temperatures so drizzle them on bread, add to mash potatoes, and get creative with salad dressings.

AND LASTLY, HERE’S A SIMPLE HEART HEALTHY RECIPE USING Hempseed oil

Measure 2 parts acid e.g. lemon or vinegar with 1 part hemp seed oil, season with salt and pepper and drizzle over a mix of salad leaves and tomatoes. Serve with a healthy portion of lean protein.