February is American Heart Month and that leads to the question of “What can I do to keep my heart healthy?” Luckily there are copious amounts of easy lifestyle changes that can benefit your heart's health. Cooking right is one of them.
We all want to be healthy, but when it comes down to doing something about it, we tend to just put it on the backburner and say, “Oh, I’ll start exercising tomorrow and maybe eat a few more fruits and veggies.”
Stop it. This is your wake-up call, and it is time that we at Loma Linda University Health start living out our message of wholeness.
One of the most important things we can do as healthy people is make smart, conscious decisions when it comes to exercising or cooking. Studies show that if you take the time to cook your meals at home, you have more control over what you are putting into your body. Sounds simple, right? So let’s do it. Let’s start cooking and truly make healthy decisions.
Here are some simple changes in the way you cook that can help your heart to function stronger for longer. Tips are from the research of the Loma Linda University Adventist Health Study-1.
- Fruits and vegetables are linked to a lower risk of heart disease.
- Consuming nuts several times a week may reduce the risk of heart attack by up to 50 percent.
- Drinking at least five glasses of water each day may also help to reduce your risk of heart disease by 50 percent.
- Finally, eating whole-meal bread, as opposed to white, reduces the nonfatal heart attack risk by up to 45 percent.
The American Heart Association offers some additional tips for healthy cooking:
- Substitute egg whites in the place of whole eggs.
- Opt to buy fat-free or light versions of salad dressings, dips and dairy products.
- Try to find products with low salt levels.
- If you’re a meat lover, make sure that you trim the visible fat prior to cooking.
With so many small lifestyle changes available, it is up to us to take advantage of them and truly “live it!”