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Most people who have heart problems likely realize they need to be on a heart healthy diet. I just found out how you can make a heart healthy salad. Here is how you build a heart healthy salad.
First, we’ll look at a typical salad and the mistakes people make thinking all salads are healthy. A typical salad bar salad starts with a bed of iceberg lettuce, a nutrient poor food that zoos even stopped feeding the animals. Then most people pile on the cheese, full of fat and maybe not even real cheese but processed cheese food full of partially hydrogenated oils. Next, many people add lots of croutons which are high in fat and contain white flour, and drench it with a hearty helping of creamy dressing which also is high in fat and probably loaded with trans fats.
This is NOT a heart healthy salad. Not one thing in it is going to benefit the heart and cardiovascular system. You can say you ate a salad for lunch,but it wasn’t much better than a big fast food burger for your heart.
The prevalence of cardiovascular diseases in the United States has been linked to our diet and learning a few tips to help prevent high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, and cholesterol build up can be life saving.
The very first thing to remember is color. Deep green, bright red, purple,orange, and yellow colors in vegetables are caused by plant pigments. Each and every one of the phytochemicals that make up complex plant colors act as antioxidants. Current research indicates that not only heart disease and stroke but also other debilitating diseases like cancer may all be caused by free radical oxidative damage wreaking havoc on our cells. Antioxidants neutralize and stop the oxidative stress chain reactions caused byantioxidants. So pile on the colorful vegetables and fruits. Red cabbage, dark green spinach and other deeply colored greens, orange peppers andcarrots, broccoli, whatever vegetables you enjoy. Don’t forget a tiny bit of hearth healthy cayenne if you like spicy. Be sure to add onions that have proven heart healthy properties.
A little cheese, Parmesan or mozzarella, goes great on top of a salad, but just add a small amount and use real cheese. If you are building a dinner salad then add some lean grilled chicken. A perfect heart healthy addition is wild caught Alaska grilled salmon high in heart healthy Omega 3 oils.
Avoid fried or breaded additions; these are full of unhealthy fats.
If you need a little crunch on the salad look for raw nuts and seeds.
Walnuts, sunflower seeds, almonds, or pumpkin seeds all benefit the heart and cardiovascular system. Don’t buy roasted or salted.
Finally, the dressing. The ideal dressing is a simple dash of olive oil and a bit of red wine vinegar. The trick is to sprinkle the salad with herbs; oregano, thyme, parsley, whichever herbs you enjoy. Then a sprinkle of garlic powder or pieces of roasted garlic, also proven to benefit the heart, and you have a truly heart healthy salad!
To Your Heart’s Health
Monique Hawkins
540-858-2885
mentormonique@gmail.com
Remember to sign up for my “You Deserve To Have A Healthy Heart” Newsletter! P.S. For more information about Vita Che, the natural Roto Rooter for your arteries, visit this online nutrition store at http://699456.shopvitamark.com
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