Heart Health Tips: The dietary choices you make can go a long way toward preventing not only heart disease, but many other chronic conditions as well.
A heart-healthy diet is likely to bring to mind images of bland, boiled food. On the contrary, a heart-healthy diet is one that is interesting, tasty and colourful, since it should include a large amount of brightly colored vegetables and fruits, coarse grains such as millet, legumes of all kinds (soybeans, nuts and seeds), low-fat dairy, along with a few servings of fish or poultry.
Among all the foods necessary to keep the heart healthy, those that are eaten in far less amounts than recommended are vegetables and fruits. This is a concern that has been highlighted in various reports such as ICMR-NIN’s “What India Eats”, 2020. A heart-healthy diet should include at least five servings per day from this food group. In addition to eating various ingredients, the cooking process also plays a role in terms of the flavor, texture, color, digestibility, absorption, and nutritional value of the dish.
“Preferred cooking methods such as braising (cooking in a covered pan with a small amount of liquid that is simmering) and steaming (surrounding the food with steam produced by boiling water) get good results. Among the methods of frying, sautéing or sautéing (throwing food into a small amount of fat in a pan) is acceptable and healthy,” says Neelanjana Singh, dietitian and wellness consultant.
- short cooking time: Overcooking should always be avoided, regardless of cooking method. Overcooking destroys the nutrients as well as the colors and textures of the food. Methods that employ a shorter cooking time are preferred: pressure cooking and microwaving are prime examples.
- Minimum water use: When cooking in water, use as little as necessary. This will minimize the leaching of water soluble nutrients. Try using the leftover water in a sauce or sauce. Also, avoid adding baking soda to vegetables when cooking. They may retain color but the vitamin C content decreases.
- Avoid very high temperatures: This is particularly important for dry heat methods like broiling, baking, broiling, and frying. Cooking at very high temperatures (above 180 degrees Celsius) can form acrylamide, a compound that has been linked to cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Fat dripping on meats/paneer/potatoes at high temperatures causes such chemicals to form.
- Use cooking oil from multiple sources: One of the most frequently asked questions about the diet refers to cooking oils and which of them is the best for our health. Multi-sourced cooking oils have the added benefit of low-absorbency technology and better thermal stability, which is desirable for high-temperature cooking methods such as baking and frying. Fries are a very important part of our celebration menus, which we can occasionally enjoy in limited portions, without increasing the risk of disease.
This brings us back to the fact that diet can play an important role in disease prevention. The importance of using nutrient-dense, minimally processed ingredients cannot be overstated. While the focus of a heart-healthy diet is on what to do, it’s also crucial to be aware of what not to do. Excess salt, sugar, and saturated fat should be on the “watch out” list. Trans fats, ultra-processed foods, and processed meats all fall into the category of foods to avoid.
Overall, the dietary choices you make can go a long way toward preventing not only heart disease but many other chronic conditions.
(Entries: IANS)
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