Heart disease is the No 1 killer of Australian women. In fact heart disease kills four times as many Australian women as breast cancer every year. Most women don’t make the connection between heart problems and themselves – they think that heart disease is a ‘male problem’ because high profile men who have heart attacks, are very visible in the media.
Support the Heart Foundation’s initiative Go Red for Women to call attention to the huge gap in awareness between the sexes. Visit their website to find out what events are planned near you.
Heart disease is enemy No. 1 for women! In 2009, only 20 per cent of Australian women aged 45-65 were aware that heart disease is the No. 1 killer of Australian women. By June 2012 this figure had grown to 39 per cent, according to Go Red for Women.
So ladies, call your doctor today for a check-up. It’s important you quit smoking, get active, take steps to shed those few kilos around your middle that have crept on, and check your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Eating a healthy diet - low in saturated and trans fats, high in fibre, with plenty of vegetables and whole grains is key to maintaining a healthy heart. Here are my five easy ‘heart-friendly’ foods that can help lower cholesterol and keep your heart healthy when you're on the go.
Sterols have nothing to do with steroids. In fact, you’re already eating sterols! They’re natural plant chemicals found in vegetables and beans and have a similar structure to cholesterol but they can block the body’s absorption of cholesterol from the digestive tract. Eat enough of them and your cholesterol levels will come down. It’s not a gimmick, there’s good research to prove it.
Sterols were first added to margarine spreads, but these days you’ll also find them in special milks (HeartActive) and yoghurt (Logicol) too. You need to consume 2-3g of sterols a day - which amounts to roughly three serves of a sterol-enriched food e.g. three 250ml glasses of HeartActive or 25-36g of a sterol-containing margarine. Because these products work like a medicine, you need to consume them everyday. So, if you have high cholesterol, start making a few HeartActive smoothies and spread your wholegrain muffin with a sterol spread.
When packing a snack, make it a handful of almonds (30 to 50g, which is 20-30 almonds). Preferably raw and unsalted. Or mix them with a few juicy raisins or prunes. I keep a container or zip-lock bag of them on hand for when cravings kick in.
Almonds – one of my super foods - stack up as one of nature’s top heart foods. They’re rich in the ‘good’ monounsaturated fats (like those in olive oil), vitamin E (a fat-soluble vitamin) and an amino acid called arginine, which keeps blood vessels clear of fatty plaques.
Almonds are also a good source of the minerals potassium, magnesium and even a little calcium to help keep blood pressure under control. Other nuts give similar benefits too but I like the crunch and ready availability of almonds. For more, go to www.nutsforlife.com.au.
They won’t lower your cholesterol, but the healthy omega-3 fats in oily fish keep your heart beating steady, your blood free-flowing, your arteries more elastic and triglycerides (another blood fat) down. Try to cook oily fish varieties such as trout, mackerel and herring when you can. Canned salmon or sardines are excellent for omega-3 and inexpensive. I love them for a convenient lunch either on crackers with sliced tomato or in a salad.
Beta-glucan is a soluble fibre found mainly in oats that will keep your cholesterol down. In addition oats are whole grains and have a lowish GI so this will help if you have diabetes. Oats are so good for your nutrition – they top up your B vitamins, especially thiamin and niacin, as well as minerals like phosphorus, potassium and magnesium (which helps steady the rhythm of the heart).
Oats which are another one of my 20 super foods are a kitchen ingredient for all-seasons. Use them to make your own muesli mixed with nuts and dried fruits and eat with a cholesterol lowering yoghurt in summer. In winter just take a cup of that muesli, mix with 1 ¼ cups of water and 1 cup of cholesterol lowering milk like HeartActive, bring to the boil and simmer while stirring for five minutes and you've got a heart healthy and warming breakfast that not only looks after your heart but is also low GI and will keep you feeling fuller for longer.
I’m impressed with Country Life’s Mixed Grain Oat bread which is made with over 4 per cent oat bran plus grains and is high in fibre. The oat bran really boosts its beta-glucan levels, which helps blocks cholesterol absorption as outlined above. When you're on the go, this is a good bread for a heart healthy diet. Start your day with a bowl of porridge oats or hot muesli and then tuck into a sandwich at lunch made from this loaf. Or have it toasted with a spread of honey in the afternoon instead of biscuits or a muesli bar. Healthy AND quick!
Did you know 90 per cent of Australian women have at least one risk factor, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure or family history? Ask your GP for help or encourage someone you love to get their heart health checked. Ladies, don't forget your heart!
Written by guest contributor, dietitian-nutritionist Catherine Saxelby, and reproduced here with permission from www.foodwatch.com.au.
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