“He spent over an hour with me, reviewing healthy lifestyle advice in detail to improve my heart health,” says Abdel. “His care, and advice, has changed my life.”

Abdel has lost approximately 40 pounds in four months by closely following Dr. Moustafa’s tips. The changes, for a self-professed foodie, initially came as a shock. No added sugars, no processed carbs. And the kicker: 30 seconds for each bite or mouthful.

“He patiently listened to my daily eating routine and explained to me the quality of the different types of food, as well as the appropriate healthy quantity and frequency of meals each day. He also detailed the benefits of chewing the food slowly,” explains Abdel.

Aiming for 30 chews per bite improves digestion, nutrient absorption, and most importantly helps you feel full, potentially leading to better weight management. Abdel is now maintaining a good calorie deficit with a sustainable balanced healthy diet and regular exercise.

“I haven’t felt this healthy in more than ten years,” he says. “I’m able to go for daily walks effortlessly, and I’m gaining muscle mass by regularly visiting the gym.”

The patient and doctor have also bonded over their shared experience of being from Egypt. “In Arabic culture, the physician is called “Ḥakīm” which means a wise person. For me, Dr. Moustafa is that person,” says Abdel.

Dr. Moustafa’s impact extends to the students he works with each year at Sunnybrook. He recently received a Peters-Boyd Academy Teaching Award: Foundation Faculty Teaching for Clinical Skills.

The post Heart healthy tips in action: Abdel’s story appeared first on Your Health Matters.

Ramadan follows the Islamic lunar calendar, taking place at a different time every year. This mean, depending on the amount of day light during Ramadan, fasting can last anywhere from 11 to 16 hours per day.

During Ramadan, those observing will have a pre-dawn meal known as suhoor and a post-dusk feast to break their fast known as iftar. While fasting, you cannot eat or drink anything, not even water. This makes proper nutrition and hydration extra important during suhoor and iftar.

“Maintaining proper nutrition is essential, especially when fasting,” says Sunnybrook clinical nutrition student Radhika Anand. “Making sure our bodies have the nutrients they need to function at their best can help us sustain our energy levels and avoid fatigue while fasting.”

Here are some helpful tips from Sunnybrook’s clinical nutrition team to make sure you have a safe and successful fast:

 Have a well-balanced suhoor (pre-dawn) meal

A well-balanced suhoor provides slow-releasing energy to keep you full throughout the day. Here’s what to include as you begin your fast:

1. Complex Carbohydrates — foods like oats, whole wheat bread, brown rice, and quinoa help stabilize blood sugar levels and provide long-lasting energy.
2. Protein — include eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese and legumes to promote fullness and support muscle maintenance.
3. Healthy Fats — add nuts, seeds and avocado for increased and sustained energy.
4. Vegetables — fill half your plate with vegetables for essential vitamins, minerals and digestive support.
5. Portion size — to ensure a balanced meal, use a quarter of your plate for lean proteins (eggs, Greek yogurt) and the other quarter for whole grains (oats, whole wheat bread).

Replenish your body during your iftar (post-dusk) meal

After fasting, your body may be dehydrated and low in blood sugar. A healthy iftar should focus on rehydration and gentle digestion. It takes about 20 minutes for your body to register fullness, so eat mindfully and stop eating when you feel satisfied. This approach reduces stress on your body and provides more sustained energy:

1. Start with fluids – break your fast with water or hydrating drinks like coconut water to replenish lost fluids and electrolytes.
2. Dates – dates are a great choice during iftar as they are high in natural sugars, fibre, potassium, and magnesium, which quickly help to raise blood sugar levels.
3. Light soups – a vegetable or lentil soup provides hydration and prepares your stomach for a heavier main meal.
4. Avoid heavy, fatty foods – overeating fried or rich foods can cause bloating and indigestion. Instead, try a balanced, nutrient-dense meal with whole foods, protein and healthy fats.

 Maintain good hydration

Maintaining good hydration can be difficult since drinking water is prohibited when fasting. Consider the following tips to stay hydrated throughout your fast:

1. Consume water-rich foods — cucumbers, watermelon, strawberries, oranges, and soups are great ways to increase your water content while providing sustenance.
2. Stay hydrated — aim for eight glasses of water a day, distributing these glasses gradually throughout non-fasting hours.
3. Limit diuretics and salt — avoid drinks with caffeine, which causes water loss through urination, and try to avoid salty foods like pickles and salted fish, which increase the body’s need to retain water.

Avoid highly processed foods

Certain foods should be limited during Ramadan to avoid energy crashes and digestive issues throughout the day. Here are some foods to avoid while fasting:

1. Sugary drinks and desserts – these foods can spike blood sugar and drop energy levels, leaving you feeling fatigued.
2. Fried and processed foods — fried and processed foods are often high in unhealthy fats, sodium, and additives, which can lead to digestive distress.
3. Refined Carbohydrates – foods like white bread, pastries and sugary cereals can cause blood sugar fluctuations.

By incorporating these helpful tips while fasting, you can make the most of this spiritual time while making sure your body is still getting the nutrients it needs to keep you going.

The post How to maintain good nutrition during Ramadan appeared first on Your Health Matters.

Anastasia Sawka, Gloria Morgan and Junshu Zhao, clinical nutrition students at Sunnybrook, share their insights on what you can do to make sure you’re getting the nutrients you need.

How does malnutrition affect the body?

Malnutrition means the body isn’t getting enough energy, protein and essential nutrients, and is a major health concern. Malnutrition can slow down the immune system, disrupt heart rate and digestion, deteriorate vision and weaken bones. Just doing daily tasks can be difficult. When someone is hospitalized, or dealing with acute conditions like trauma or infections, malnutrition becomes even more complicated.

What are the signs?

Unintended weight loss is a common indicator, and one way of noticing is that clothes fit more loosely. Other signs include:

• decreased appetite
• lack of interest in food or drinks
• persistent tiredness or low energy levels
• struggles with everyday tasks
• difficulty keeping warm
• problems with chewing or swallowing

These signs can be subtle but shouldn’t be ignored as they may indicate underlying nutritional deficiencies that need attention. Be sure to check with your doctor if you are experiencing any of these signs.

Hospitalized patients may be asked questions to assess changes in their weight and eating patterns. Those at risk for malnutrition will receive the medical and nutritional care they need.

Will oral supplements help?

Illness and medications can sometimes contribute to a suppressed appetite, feeling full faster or noticing a change in the way foods taste. For some people, oral nutritional supplements can help prevent unnecessary deterioration and minimize potential loss of muscle mass and function. Speak with a registered dietitian or your health care team to determine if a nutritional supplement would be helpful.

Other helpful tips

If you are concerned about weight loss and low appetite, here are some things to try:

• Take a “food first” approach; focus on making simple meals you like to make eating as easy as possible.
• Opt for frequent, small meals throughout the day instead of three large ones.
• Swap out low-calorie or low-fat options for alternatives that contain healthy fats and sugars. For example, choose whole milk instead of skim.
• Keep high-calorie and high-protein snacks – like Greek yogurt or crackers with cheese –  nearby for easy access.
• Incorporate nutritious drinks between meals and before bedtime to increase your caloric and nutrient intake. For instance, try a full-fat milk hot chocolate, or protein-rich smoothie that includes ingredients like Greek yogurt, nut butter, protein powder or milk powder.

Visit Dietitians of Canada to learn more about the role of registered dietitians, or ask your doctor for a referral.

The post Malnutrition: What You Should Know appeared first on Your Health Matters.

According to Canada’s Food Price Report 2023, produced by Dalhousie University, consumers can expect a five to seven percent increase in the price of food this year – with items such as vegetables, dairy and meat seeing the biggest hikes.

That means that this year, an average family of four is expected to spend as much as $16,288 per year on food – about $1,065 more than what they spent in 2022.

Food inflation is a stark reality that can make eating healthy and nutritious meals that align with Canada’s Food Guide more challenging than ever, especially for people living on low or fixed incomes.

At the latest Sunnybrook Speaker Series, Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator Karen Fung discussed ways to cope.

Menu planning, budget-conscious shopping and preparing ingredients and dishes in advance can help people save money, reduce waste and get more bang for their buck from their food.

One strategy Karen advised is to plan out three to five recipes a week, ideally ones that use locally available and seasonal vegetables and fruits. These tend to be less expensive, tastier and more nutritious than imported produce.

At the same time, she said, it is important to consume a variety of different-coloured foods – to “eat the rainbow” – and given Canada’s climate, this sometimes means relying on imported produce. Frozen fruits and vegetables are a great, budget-friendly option in this case.

Karen also shared tips for stocking up on pantry items such as whole-grain pasta, lentils, beans, canned tomatoes or broths – items that can easily be combined with vegetables on hand (including frozen) or leftovers for a quick soup or stew.

Keeping an eye on grocery stores’ weekly sale items or using apps that list flyer deals is a good place to start, she said. Many stores also have price match policies or offer rain checks when sale items are out of stock – both useful ways to save some money at the checkout aisle.

Noting an item’s unit price (the price per standard unit of measurement) as opposed to its sticker price when deciding between similar products in different size packages can be helpful too.

And don’t forget to arrive at the grocery store with a shopping list in hand and a full stomach, Karen said, as these will help to avoid overspending on unhealthy snacks or pricey items.

And what about once you’re home from the store?

Karen said batch cooking is a great way to ensure you have leftovers you can turn to later on. One-pot casseroles and sheet pan recipes save on preparation and cleaning time.

And labelling and freezing perishable items so they’re ready when you need them at a future date is a tried but true technique as well. Most items can be safely stored in the freezer for three to six months.

» Check out more tips from Karen Fung

The post How to meal plan amid food inflation appeared first on Your Health Matters.

Learn more from Sunnybrook’s dietitians about their education, how you can access a dietitian’s services and how a dietitian might be able to support you.

“Ingredients” of a Dietitian

In order to become a registered dietitian in Canada, an individual will first finish a four-year accredited Bachelor’s degree, typically in Nutrition and Dietetics, followed by an accredited dietetic internship or an integrated Master’s program, which includes a practicum component.

During their dietetic internship or as part of an integrated Master’s degree, dietitians complete a minimum of 1250 hours of supervised practical training. The practical training provides a variety of rotations in clinical, community and food service settings that allows students to meet the requirements for their dietetic education and practice. Students learn from RDs working in a variety of inpatient and outpatient settings where they become a part of the interprofessional team gaining the hands-on experience and skills needed to provide competent patient centered care.

After completing their post-graduate internship or Master’s degree, students must pass the Canadian Dietetic Registration Exam before they officially receive their independent practice license as a registered dietitian. In Ontario, they must also pass the Jurisprudence Knowledge and Awareness Test at graduation and every 7 years. Every year, RDs must file a “self-directed learning tool” and provide evidence of ongoing learning to maintain their registration with the College of Dietitians of Ontario.

The pathway for internationally trained dietitians can be found here: https://www.collegeofdietitians.org/applicants/internationally-educated.aspx

What can a dietitian do for me?

Registered Dietitians are food and nutrition experts. There are many different ways that an RD can help support you in your health and nutrition goals. Some examples include:

• Healthy eating for health promotion and disease prevention
• Chronic disease management (diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, cancer care, gastrointestinal disorders, and more
• Nutrition for different stages of life from prenatal nutrition to infancy and childhood, through to older adults and palliative care
• Food allergies, intolerances and sensitivities
• Eating disorders and disordered eating
• Sports nutrition

In a hospital setting, clinical RDs provide medical nutrition therapy for a variety of inpatient and outpatient medical conditions. RDs might screen patients for nutritional risk, provide nutritional assessments and develop nutrition care plans. They assess for nutrition therapy provided orally, through enteral feeding tubes and via IV. They also provide nutrition education for patients and families. 

Accessing a dietitian

Outside of the hospital setting, you may wish with work with a dietitian to learn about how to make the most of your food and nutrition.

 There are dietitians who work for public health units, diabetes education centres, community health centres and with family health teams. In some of these cases, they may accept self-referrals (e.g. this is the case for the Sunnybrook diabetes education centre), while other clinics may require a referral from your doctor. You may also be able to access a dietitian through long-term care homes or home care service agencies.

Some extended health care plans cover private dietitian services. In order to access a dietitian who works in private practice, you may be required to have a referral from your physician in order for insurance to cover their services, so check with your insurance company before booking an appointment.

You can find a dietitian in your area by visiting the Dietitians of Canada website and clicking on “Find a Dietitian.”

Finally, you can visit Health Connect Ontario’s website to speak with a local registered dietitian. This service is free and does not require a doctor’s referral. It can be a great starting point for anyone looking to speak with a dietitian since it is free for the public, and there are translators available for more than 100 languages. Dietitians at Health Connect can address many concerns related to chronic diseases and can assist in offering resources if they are not equipped to speak to a specific concern.

The post An introduction to dietitians and how they can support your nutrition goals appeared first on Your Health Matters.

Grocery Shopping

Plan ahead:

• Have three to four recipes you plan to make in the upcoming week.
  • Here are some pantry friendly recipes:
    • https://www.loveandlemons.com/pantry-recipes/
    • https://www.budgetbytes.com/
  • Grocery list – Prepare your grocery list in advance. If you share a grocery list with someone else in the house, consider using a cloud-based notes application.
  • Aim to use plant-based meals every week: legumes (e.g. canned and dried beans and lentils), tofu
  • Frozen vegetables are just as healthy as fresh — consider buying frozen if this is cheaper.
  • Seasonal produce tends to be cheaper. Use this guide: https://www.ontario.ca/foodland/page/availability-guide

Prepare:

Before you go to the grocery store, take stock of what items you have already and which items you will need to buy. Check your pantry, fridge, and freezer.

• Flyers – Use grocery flyers or apps like Flipp® or Reebee® to help find deals.
• Price match – Some stores will price match the lower advertised price from a competitor. Provide the retail clerk with a digital or print copy of the competing offer (flyers are helpful here), they will sell you the product for a lower price. You can check online (or ask in store) if a grocery store will price match.
• You can “rain check” at grocery stores if an item on sale is out of stock.
  • This allows you to return at a later date to purchase the item when it is back in stock at the sale price. The standard is that this offer lasts 30 days, but check with your store.
• Wait for pantry items to go on sale, then stock up!

Preparing Foods

• Be flexible — if recipes call for certain ingredients, look up substitutes or alternatives. For example, if a recipe calls for asparagus but it is not asparagus season, you can consider using another vegetable such as broccoli, cauliflower, etc.
• Don’t throw out all your scraps!
• Keep seafood shells, bones of meats, and odds and ends of vegetables in freezer bags. You can turn these into broths.
• There are online resources for how to use food scraps, check them out!
• Make extras, especially vegetables and grains. You may find other ways to repurpose this. For example, sautéed veggies can go into a salad for lunch the next day. Leftover meats can be cut up to be included in a wrap the next day. Last night’s stir fry can be cooked with farro or barley as a new side dish.

Storing Meals

• Freeze cooked meals into portions you will likely consume in a week. (e.g: two or three portions of chili or soup that you can reheat throughout the week and have with sandwich or salad).
• Freeze meals already portioned into a balanced plate to create a homemade “TV dinner.”

The post Budget-friendly healthy eating: practical tips appeared first on Your Health Matters.

Shop savvy and stock up

When items go on sale, consider buying a few extra. This is especially good for staple items with a longer shelf life, like pasta sauces, soups and canned tuna.

Check “that” shelf

Most grocery stores will have discount shelves for various items that can save you at least half off the original price. Bread and pre-made pizza crusts that are near expiry can be kept in the freezer and used as needed. For fresh produce that is near expiry, many items can be used to add extra nutritional value to dishes that are cooked, like soups and stews.

Buy dry

Consider purchasing large value sizes for items like dried pasta, rice, oatmeal and beans. Cost-per-serving, you’ll save a lot of money cooking these items yourself rather than opting for to the smaller ready-to-eat versions. Buying these items in bulk will also spare a significant amount of packaging waste.

Compare

Most grocery stores offer paper or e-flyers to let you compare item costs each week. There are also a number of Apps available to help you comparison shop on specific items, saving you time and gas money. It’s helpful to keep a running list of what you need to stock up on. Always having staples on hand will give you a lot of flexibility when it comes to meal planning.

Freeze, dry or can it

Seasonal or discounted produce can retain a lot of nutritional value in other forms. Consider opting for these varieties, or stocking up for future use of seasonal items, by extending their shelf life.

Plan ahead

Try to map out your meals around what’s seasonal or discounted each week. Taking the time to bulk cook on the weekend will ensure there is enough to reach for during the week. Larger portions can always be labelled and frozen for future use.

When it comes to leftovers, foods like chicken, turkey, tuna and beans can be used in endless recipes if you don’t want to eat the same thing all week. Consider adding them to fresh salads, wraps, omelets or a base like quinoa or pasta along with your favorite vegetables. Many of these prepared items will keep in the fridge for several days.

For more information on packing healthy lunches and notes on food safety, Zweig recommends this site:

https://www.unlockfood.ca/en/Articles/Workplace-wellness/Packing-Healthy-Lunches-and-Snacks-for-Work.aspx

The post Lunch box approaches that fight inflation appeared first on Your Health Matters.

All medications can have potential side effects. For patients taking a certain class of antidepressants known as Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs), a dangerous spike in blood pressure can happen if they eat foods that are high in a substance called tyramine. Tyramine is an amino acid that is found naturally in many foods are that fermented, says Sunnybrook registered dietitian Karen Fung. Now, a new Sunnybrook recipe book is providing these patients with a safe roadmap through the kitchen.

The MAOI Diet Recipe Book is a collaborative project that Karen worked on with a team of experts at Sunnybrook, led by psychiatrist Dr. Ken Shulman. Importantly, it was also driven by a patient living with depression, Connie Reed.  Here, Connie and Karen share their thoughts on this unique resource and the impact it will have on patients worldwide.

Connie

I’ve been living with depression for the past fifteen years. Taking MAOIs has helped improve my quality of life greatly, making it much more enjoyable. Before I was prescribed these drugs, my doctor explained the importance of following an MAOI diet. There just weren’t many resources available on the subject.

During the pandemic, my friend Carol and I worked together sorting through a variety of recipes and adjusting them to MAOI diet requirements. Carol is very close to me and enjoys making meals for me but they have to be adjusted. For example, when making macaroni and cheese, we used a type of cheese that doesn’t contain tyramine. Carol and her husband taste-tested each recipe we worked on.

Karen

Having Connie and Carol’s input was integral to putting this recipe book together. It’s backed by leading Sunnybrook research and it also comes from an actual patient’s experience. Connie and Carol developed a lot of these recipes and provided many cooking tips. It’s easy for anyone to use and understand.

Dr. Shulman’s research has shown the use of MAOIs has declined significantly over the past 10 years, partly due to other medications being available. But many clinicians also avoid prescribing MAOIs because of this interaction with diet, and they may not be confident in what resources are available for patients to tap into. This is a concern as MAOIs represent the best option for some patients with treatment-resistant depression. As Dr. Shulman has noted, this recipe book is a huge step forward in providing research-based recommendations.

The book is easy to navigate and provides some important background and context. Tyramine is an amino acid that is found in various foods, but in much higher concentrations in foods that are aged or fermented. Some common foods that are high in tyramine include aged cheese, air dried sausages, kimchi, miso, sauerkraut and beer on tap.

On the flip side, the safe foods to eat while taking these MAOIs are all low in tyramine, which include fresh products. So fresh meat, fresh produce and fresh dairy products, like ricotta and feta cheese. Red wine is also safe for patients taking MAOIs.

Connie

As a patient, this recipe book has made me even more aware of the importance of the MAOI diet. It’s so helpful because it provides accessible information for patients as well as friends and families of people on the diet. If they want to cook a meal, they have a huge selection of safe recipes to choose from. In fact, it’s dedicated to the families and friends of those of us on MAOI medications, and their loving efforts to prepare delicious meals that are safe for us to enjoy.

Karen

Because there are so many myths and misconceptions out there, it’s important to rely on the experts to get recommendations, especially when people want to use this on an individual basis. From vegetarian options to hearty mains and salads to desserts, there really is something for everyone to enjoy.

The post MAOI Diet Recipe Book provides patients with a roadmap through the kitchen appeared first on Your Health Matters.

The purpose of supplements

It’s important to remember the purpose of supplements when considering whether to start taking them.

“They are designed to supplement when you’re unable to meet nutritional requirements or needs, or if you have changed needs,” says Karen. “It could be certain medical conditions like cancer, or higher protein intake because of dialysis, or if there are certain dietary restrictions.”

In many cases, though, supplements are not a necessary addition.

“Most Canadians can get what they need from a healthy, balanced, full-variety diet,” says Karen. “That’s what Health Canada and Canada’s Food Guide are meant to do—make sure that most Canadians are able to meet their nutritional needs without having to take anything else.”

And when it comes to meeting nutritional needs, Karen says it’s not about hitting numbers perfectly.

“It’s not that we have to hit a certain level [of nutrients] or that our bodily functions significantly suffer if your daily intake is not meeting daily requirements every single day. We are quite adaptable.”

And even if there are restrictions because of tolerance or preference, Karen says with some creativity and organization, there are likely ways to get nutrients from other foods.

For individuals with strong preferences, allergies or other restrictions, Karen recommends seeing your doctor and or dietitian to find out if a supplement could help you meet your nutritional needs.

What to consider before starting a new supplement

Even though nutritional supplements can be purchased at any grocery store, health-food store or even online, Karen says it’s still important to do your research, including visiting your family doctor or a dietitian, before starting a new supplement.

There may be possible interactions for you to consider, for example.

“Supplements can interact with each other. A classic example is iron and calcium compete for absorption,” Karen says. “So, a woman in her child-bearing years might want to replenish iron, but if she’s also supplementing with calcium, she’s at risk for not absorbing as much iron as she’d want to.”

Omega-3 fats 

Supplements are also an added cost and don’t necessarily undergo the same regulations as medications, which can affect the quality and effectiveness of active ingredients. That means you might not be getting the nutritional boost you want.

So, for Omega-3 fats, which many Canadians pay attention to for heart health and are readily available in capsules, Karen says —for heart-health benefits— the best option is to get Omega-3s from food. There have been recent updated recommendations (from the Canadian Cardiovascular Society) that over-the-counter Omega-3 supplements are not recommended for cardiovascular disease.

“Our best sources of Omega-3 are from fatty fish, but if we don’t eat fish, we can definitely get enough from plant sources,” Karen says.  “We just need to intake it daily [from plant sources] because we need to convert it into a slightly different format for its health benefits.”

Plant sources of Omega-3 fats can include flax seeds (or oil), chia seeds, hemp seeds or walnuts.

“This is an example of having a preference restriction. You might not like fish, you might be allergic to fish, but there are other ways to consume the nutrients without having to add a supplement,” Karen says.

Vitamin D

Karen says the one supplement that is recommended for all Canadians is vitamin D.

“You should supplement in a pill or drop form,” she says. “Health Canada recommends it as a supplement for Canadians.”

For advice on the proper dosage, you can speak to your doctor.

The post Nutritional supplements: what you need to know appeared first on Your Health Matters.

February is Heart Month, and one way to care for your heart is by eating well. Dr. Rahul Jain, Family Physician at Sunnybrook, and Karen Fung, Registered Dietitian at Sunnybrook, share some ways individuals and families can incorporate heart-healthy eating habits into everyday life.

Have fun with cooking

Dr. Jain says one way to encourage Canadians to stick to their healthy eating goals is to remind them that eating nutritious foods doesn’t have to mean bland, boring meals. That’s why the Canadian Cardiovascular Harmonized National Guideline Endeavour (C-CHANGE), of which Dr. Jain is the co-chair, collaborated with a professional chef from Switzerland, Jaroslav Guzanic, to create a teaching video on how to prepare a delicious, heart-healthy meal (according to Canadian nutrition guidelines). In the video— which you can watch above— Jaroslav prepares a vegetarian version of the Moroccan dish tagine.

“The teaching video aligns with Canadian nutrition guidelines on best practices to prevent and manage cardiovascular disease,” says Dr. Jain. “But it’s about having fun with the food as well. And to pick up culinary skills. [Cooking] can be a fun activity.”

Dr. Jain and Karen say there are some key things Canadians can do to make meals more heart-healthy:

Look for polyunsaturated fats 

One recommendation for heart-healthy eating is for Canadians to reduce the amount of saturated fats they eat and instead opt for unsaturated fats, which include poly- and mono-unsaturated fats.

“Vegetable oils are excellent: sesame, avocado, sunflower seed oil, canola oil, olive oil,” Karen says. “The exception is coconut, which is high in saturated fats.”

Olive oil is likely the most accessible, but some people might be hesitant to cook with it: Karen says not to worry about that.

“The common misconception is that we can’t cook with olive oil, but we can. We just can’t use it at very high heats like barbecuing,” she says. “If you’re making a stir-fry or frying an egg, you can totally use olive oil.”

In addition, nut, seeds and nut/seed butters as well as avocados are sources of unsaturated fats. For Omega-3 fats, people can eat fish such as salmon, rainbow trout, mackerel. Most white fish does not have significant amounts of Omega-3. Karen recommends fresh, not canned or cured versions.

Up the fibre

“There’s a small percentage of Canadians who meet the fibre requirement on a daily basis,” says Karen. The daily recommendation for fibre intake is at least 25 grams for women and 30 grams for men. Karen says Canadians may benefit from focusing on increasing the amount of soluble fibre in their meals because it’s often overlooked.

Soluble fibre is beneficial for heart health, Karen says, and it can be found in whole grains, oats, barley, lentils, chickpeas and beans. The fibre typically found in fruits and vegetables is known as insoluble fibre.

“We know about fruits and vegetables being a fibre source, but we forget about whole grains and legumes possibly being an even better fibre source,” she says. “Because of the low-carbohydrate fads and trends, people have shied away from whole grains and legumes.”

Both are important, but think about upping the amount of soluble fibre specifically.

Watch the sodium

Hypertension Canada recommends Canadians eat less than 2000 mg of sodium per day, which is equal to one teaspoon of salt. Currently, the average Canadian consumes closer to 2800 mg of sodium per day. Too much sodium increases the risk of high blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Dr. Jain says about one in four Canadian adults have high blood pressure, and about 30 per cent of those cases are related to high sodium in the diet.

“Salt attracts and draws water, and if you have more retention of fluid, you have increased blood volume and that results in increased blood pressure,” says Dr. Jain.

Karen says one of the easiest ways to reduce sodium intake is to cook meals at home and limit the use of processed and canned foods such as frozen dinners or canned soups.

“Replace [salt] with other herbs and spices,” says Dr. Jain, adding the cooking video with Jaroslav is a great example of how to use spices and herbs to create flavour without using as much salt. “For example, adding basil and oregano to soups and pasta, or garam masala and cumin to lentil dishes or stews.”

Progress, not perfection

Making small changes will add up, says Karen, so don’t feel as though you have to make sweeping changes to your eating habits immediately.

“It’s about the big picture,” she says.

These are general guidelines, suitable for most Canadians to prevent heart disease, but Dr. Jain says for individuals who have chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure or heart failure, it’s important to speak with your family physician or a dietitian because they can provide specific recommendations for your situation and needs.

The post How to cook (and eat) with heart health in mind appeared first on Your Health Matters.