Loving your heart
BY ERIKA ROSE
Times Correspondent | Monday, February 05, 2007
For Valentine's Day, consider giving a gift to yourself and your loved ones that will take care of any valentine's most precious asset -- the heart itself.
In recognition of the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women movement, which raises awareness of the threat of cardiovascular disease to women, a new digest-sized cookbook will be available at checkout stands of major supermarkets starting Tuesday.
The second edition of "Love Your Heart," priced at $3.99 and produced by Publications International Ltd., includes 100 pages of recipes, color photos and cooking tips aimed at helping women eat healthier for their hearts.
Jerry Sabo, clinical dietitian for cardiac rehabilitation at The Methodist Hospitals, endorses the American Heart Association cookbooks and offers some lesser-known but vital tips for eating in the most heart-healthy way.
Sabo says while cardiac patients he consults seem to expect a conversation about reducing sodium intake, the message he truly wants to get out is about fat.
It's a misnomer, he says, that all fat should be avoided. In fact, he says, getting the proper amounts of the right kinds of fat, namely omega-3 fatty acids and monounsaturated fats, are a must in a healthful diet.
Sabo says omega-3 fats are lacking in most diets. Sources of plant omega-3 fats are nuts such as walnuts and Brazil nuts, deep green leafy vegetables and flax seeds. Sources of animal omega-3 fats are fatty fish such as sardines, salmon, tuna, trout and herring.
As some basic rules on fat, Sabo offers these tips: First, toss out all vegetable oils and stock the cupboard with extra-virgin olive oil. Keep canola oil on hand, primarily for baking.
Sabo says it's important to avoid all trans fats because they negatively affect the healthy cholesterol, or HDL, level in the blood. A famous offender, for example, is stick margarine, which can be replaced with trans fat free brands such as Smart Balance, Promise and Canola Harvest. He reminds to be sure and steer clear of the words "hydrogenated" in ingredient lists as these are trans fats.
Sabo says most adults don't get the recommended amount of fiber -- about 25 to 30 grams per day, a number that is hard to achieve without adding the omega-3 sources of nuts, seeds or legumes daily.
As for fruits and vegetables, Sabo says to strive for a rainbow. The more brightly colored the food, the more nutrient-rich it will be.
According to the American Heart Association, cardiovascular disease kills more than 460,000 women a year, roughly one woman per minute. Moreover, cardiovascular disease claims more lives than the next six leading causes of death combined, including all cancers.
In addition to supermarket checkout lines, the "Love Your Heart" cookbook is available through traditional and online booksellers. For summaries and titles of past American Heart Association cookbooks, visit www.americanheart.org/cookbooks.
For information about the Go Red For Women movement, and to take the Go Red Heart Checkup, visit www.GoRedForWomen.org.
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