The holidays are just around the corner, and it can be challenging to survive this hectic season; this becomes even more challenging if you are a person with diabetes. During this time of year, food and alcohol are abundant, and temptations are no doubt great, but maintaining good lifestyle habits requires daily mindfulness and preparation.
To help you have a great party season without having to worry about heart disease, we asked a cardiologist expert to share some heart healthy food tips.
Go Green With Your Diet
The first step you can take is to increase your dietary fibre intake. Eat foods such as carrots, broccoli, whole grain cereals and grains, peas, lentils, melons, oranges, and pears. An individual fruit contains more fibre than three to four whole fruits used for making fruit juice.
Those with diabetes should avoid eating too many fruits. Choosing whole fruit and vegetables will increase your fibre intake and other nutrients. Instead, choose fruits that are low in sugar and rich in fibre, such as strawberries, oranges, sweet limes, apples, and pears.
Every meal should include a salad. You can get more nutrition by adding raw vegetables to a salad. Vegetables are a fantastic source of nutrients. In order to complete a full supper, you need a substantial amount of sprout-filled salad and vegetables. As sprouts are high in proteins and fibre, you should eat two daily servings.
Methi (fenugreek) seeds can be added to your meals. Its ingredients reduce cholesterol and are heart-healthy, making it an excellent source of soluble fibre.
In addition, people with diabetes and cardiac issues may benefit from adding raw methi seeds to curries, dals, or curd.
Let's say goodbye to salt and oil.
We are not asking you to stop consuming oil and salt entirely but rather to limit their consumption. A daily salt intake of 5-6 grams is recommended for healthy people. However, if you have been treated for heart disease or had heart surgery, the daily salt consumption should be at most 2 grams or roughly half a teaspoon.
"The food you eat can either be the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison." - Ann Wigmore
The commercial marketplace also offers a wide variety of heart-healthy oils, including rice bran oil, mustard oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, and groundnut oil. Using more than one cooking oil per month can provide additional benefits.
Be mindful of both quality and quantity.
Keep an eye on the amount of frying oil. It's essential to monitor the quantity of cooking oil you use, no matter what kind you use. The amount should be at most 15 ml (or three teaspoons) per day.
You can use ghee in addition to cooking oils; however, you should not consume more than 15 ml per day. Consider taking one teaspoon of ghee and two teaspoons of oil instead of three teaspoons of oil a day.
In case you are uncertain about portions and types and want expert advice, you can approach HR at work about a corporate wellness program where an expert nutritionist will guide you through healthy heart dos and dont's.
Maintain a portion control policy. Spread your meals out over the day and consume small portions. A person who eats three full courses in one sitting may strain their heart, other organs, and stomach.
It is best to eat six small meals throughout the day or two meals followed by pauses for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks mid-afternoon snacks. In addition, simple, light foods should be served at supper. Avoid fatty and gas-producing meals at dinner, such as beans and cauliflower.
The nuttier, the better
There is no doubt that nuts are heart-healthy. Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for maintaining the health of your heart, and they supply the highest amount. The benefits of this include maintaining blood pressure, lowering cholesterol levels, lowering triglycerides, reducing inflammation, and preventing heart disease. In addition, there is a lot of PUFA in almonds and walnuts, which makes them excellent for the heart.
Consider your snack choices carefully. Incorporate light snacks such as sprouts chaat, vegetable chaat, boiling corn chaat, puffed rice (kurmura), or bhel into your menu.
When it comes down to it, it is always a good idea to keep a close eye on your consumption and speak with a nutritionist if you are particularly mindful.
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