During Heart Week 30th April – 6th May 2017
By Rebekka Frazer -Accredited Practising Dietitian
Ultimately cardiovascular disease (the fancy name for heart disease) is one of the leading killers among Australians. Fortunately there are a number of things you can do from a dietary perspective to help minimise its onset or progression.
Rebekka’s top heart health tips:
- Fat modification
Low fat diets are out and healthy fats are in! Instead of cutting all the fat from your diet, fat modification refers to swapping unhealthy sources of fats (trans and saturated fats) for healthy fats (mono-unsaturated fats and omega 3s).
Trimming the fat off your meat (saturated fat) before cooking it in olive oil (mono-unsaturated fat) is a perfect example of this. - Increase your intake of oily fish
The Australian Heat Foundation recommends 1000mg combined EPA and DHA (omega 3 fats) per day. This equates to 2-3 servings of oily fish per week. Great choices are salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel and trout (and yes, tinned varieties count too!). - Include more plant-based foods in your diet
Fruits, vegetables, legumes/lentils and wholegrains are excellent sources of fibre, which binds some of the cholesterol in your body and helps it pass out of your system. Fibre also helps to keep you feeling fuller for longer, and therefore less likely to indulge in less healthy foods.
Hot tip: aim for at least half of the volume of your lunches and dinners to be non-starchy vegetables and get as many colours on your plate as possible to provide a variety of different nutrients.