Learning New Ways to Cook That Better Your Heart
By: Allie Moxley | Posted: 06th October 2009
Old habits die hard, and in a country where the most beloved food items are cheeseburgers and apple pie covered in ice cream, it's no wonder that a lot of people are feeling sicker than they were a few decades ago, when you were more likely to walk to the grocery store than drive, when neighborhoods were designed for more than just cars, and when the quality of the food was arguably much better. Americans are getting fatter than ever, and it's important not just for vanity reasons, but for everyone's health, that the trend end soon.
Turning to Heart Healthy recipes isn't just about helping out spouses who need to shed pounds, lest their diabetes worsen, or about taking care of your heart after a heart attack. Children in the States are also more obese than ever, and it's important to turn things around at an early age, where healthy eating habits can stick. Just because the world is filled with cheap fried foods and sugar-covered snacks doesn't mean you have to let your children fall victim to the pattern of eating them all the time.
It's pretty daunting to change the entire way you think about food, so here are some simple tips. Consider what you use as fat in your food. Get away from things like butter, and try to use olive oil instead of those mixed brand oils, because it's healthier for your body, especially your heart. Think about the Mediterranean. It might sound gimmicky, but it's actually true. A culture that eats fresh vegetables, olive oil, and fish does, on average, weigh less and have less trouble with heart disease. The best Heart Healthy recipes aren't gross reductions of your diet, but rather, a more Italian or Portuguese way of eating.
Don't get too overwhelmed: just think about this meal by meal. If, for example, a regular dinner in your house consists of french fries, burgers, perhaps a green salad, or bread covered in butter that was bought from the store, let's take a step back. Switch that white bread to brown bread, perhaps even learn to make bread on your own. Cut out that burger and replace it with a nice salmon steak or some halibut. And ditch the french fries in favor of grilled potato with olive oil, a nice salt and pepper rub, and maybe some fresh thyme. Without getting too crazy, you've just switched your unhealthy meal to a healthy one, and the Heart Healthy recipes weren't that difficult at all!
Great tasting Alaska seafood is a healthy way to feed the whole family. You'll find a ton of great nutrition information at the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute's website.This article is free for republishing
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Tags: vanity, old habits, die hard, heart disease, burgers, fried foods, french fries, grocery store, heart attack, snacks, food items, white bread, healthy eating habits, cheeseburgers, brown bread, green salad, olive oil, apple pie