An American cardiologist has stated that processed foods found in kitchens are no good for your heart, your waistline, as well as your taste buds.
The Saint Louis University based cardiologist, Melda Dolan, has urged people to give their kitchen a healthy heart makeover.
A heart healthy makeover necessitates a change in lifestyle .
These are the top ten tips for a healthy heart:
1. Shop the circumference of your local grocery store where you will find fresh produce, seafood dairy and meat.
2. Stop buying processed foods like frozen meals and canned goods. These items are high in sodium and simple carbohydrates.
3. Use fresh herbs and spices to flavour your cooking as opposed to salt, such as, basil, rosemary, dill, garlic and ginger.
4. Use olive oil instead of other oils and vegetable oil. Try putting olive oil on your bread as opposed to butter.
5. Do not fry your foods. Bake, broil or grill instead.
6. Should you eat meat, try chicken and fish. Both make for a low fat diet, with fish containing omega fatty acids, key for lipid management.
7. Cut down on red meat and pork as they are high in fat and quicken the atherosclerosis process, or the hardening of the arteries, which leads to heart disease .
8. Try fresh fruit for dessert as opposed to high calorie choices, such as, cake or ice cream.
9. Should you drink alcohol, limit yourself to just one drink a day (12 oz. beer, 4 oz. glass of wine or 1.5 oz. of 80-proof spirits). Red wine contains heart-healthy flavonoids and antioxidants, however, that doesnot make it safe to drink in excess. Excessive drinking can ofcourse lead to alcoholism, obesity, high blood pressure and stroke .
10. Try and keep your portion sizes small.