Straight from the Expert

Healthy hearts - Nishta Saxena


Nishta Saxena Clinical Dietician Peter Munk Cardiac Centre

With so many different diets all the rage, healthy eating can seem tricky. That’s why in celebration of Heart Month, UHNews sat down with Nishta Saxena, Clinical Dietician in the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre to talk about heart healthy foods and tips on how to include more of them in your diet.

What are the basic principles of a heart healthy diet?
There are four key components to a diet that helps maintain a healthy heart and body:

Portion – Balanced portions are key, which for most people means smaller potions.
Fibre – A diet high in fibre keeps you feeling full.
Fat – A diet high in saturated fats (fats that are solid at room temperature, for example butter) leads to plaque build-up in the heart’s arteries which can cause heart attacks.
Salt – Low sodium diets are important for controlling hypertension (high blood pressure) and fluid balance.

What is the easiest change I can make in my diet to benefit my heart?
The easiest thing you can do is to eat more plant-based foods and less animal-based products.

For example, eating more vegetables and reducing your intake of red meat and high-fat dairy will help your heart. When you do eat red meat, choose an extra lean cut, and try to incorporate fish into your diet twice a week.

What is the real deal on salt?
Many people don’t realize that only 8-10 per cent of our overall salt intake in North America comes from added salt, meaning the salt we add when cooking or at the table. The remaining 90 per cent of salt is an inherent preservative in the processed foods we eat including pizza crusts, breads, crackers, desserts, condiments, sauces and other prepared foods.

Packaged foods sold in Canada contain a higher salt content than other countries including Britain and the United States. Since Canada is such a large country, food takes a long time to travel from one end to the other, with multiple distribution centres and warehouses between. In order for the food to maintain its shelf-life it needs to be dry and preserved. The simplest way to do this is to add lots of salt.

To reduce the amount of salt in your diet, eat fresher, whole foods and less prepared foods. Anything that’s in a package, box, bag or bin likely has a lot of salt so use less of these items and cook more meals at home.

Is vegetarianism the way to go?
Although a reduction in animal-based products has been proven to reduce the risk of heart disease, vegetarianism is not suitable for everyone.

Many vegetarians choose this diet for cultural and environmental reasons because traditionally, meat was not readily available in many countries. If you are considering a vegetarian diet, consult a dietician who can help you make choices appropriate to your lifestyle.

I’ve heard a lot of hype about so-called “super foods.” What are they and do they really work?
A super food is nutrient dense and has multiple benefits, meaning it offers the best bang for your buck. Most are rich in omega 3, lean protein, antioxidants and pro-biotic bacteria.

Here are a few examples of foods that come in small packages, but offer enormous heart benefits:

Kidney beans
Wild cold water fish
Almonds
Walnuts
Low-fat yogurt
Blueberries
Avocados

Can you give me some tips on how to include more heart healthy foods in my diet?

Put more vegetables into the foods you already eat. Add three different veggies into your usual sandwich, pizza or wrap.
Wash and prepare vegetables in advance so that they are ready to go from the fridge to your meal with minimal effort or use frozen veggies. Include ready-cut vegetables in soups, stews and sauces to increase your intake. If your vegetables are readily available, you’re more likely to include them in meals.
Eat one or two vegetarian meals per week, such as a meatless chilli.
Eat less processed foods and cook more to reduce sodium intake.
Make gradual changes so that these tips become part of your lifestyle and not a short-lived trend.

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