You Are What You Eat
For many of us, eating isn’t just a necessity, it’s one of life’s more enjoyable pleasures. Unfortunately, the food that tastes divinely luxurious is often the food that is the least healthy. Diets high in fat and sodium are thought to contribute to the risk of hypertension, making it even more important to eat healthy, balanced meals. Due to sodium’s significance in contributing to high blood pressure, it will examined separately in the following section.
Healthy eating doesn’t have to mean less delicious eating. There are many ways to substitute healthy ingredients for less nutritious (and more heart unfriendly) choices, without sacrificing flavor or texture. Please see the collection of recipes at the end of this book for some easy to follow recipes for great tasting, heart-healthy food.
Ever heard the saying “fat is flavor”? We can’t deny it: fat usually does taste pretty good. Unfortunately, it doesn’t do us any good, and is a leading contributor to heart disease, as well as myriad other ailments. Saturated fats are the biggest culprits here, and have no positive health benefits. Saturated fats can adhere to the walls of your arteries and form a hard plaque. This plaque narrows the passage that blood travels through, which increases blood pressure.
Reducing the amount of dangerous fats in your diet doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice flavor. There are some fats that, when consumed wisely, can actually contribute to an overall healthy diet.
Omega 3 fatty acids, present in oily cold-water fish, such as salmon or mackerel, walnuts, and flax have been found to be heart-healthy. These fats can offer a number of health benefits,such as naturally reducing blood clots, lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and improving the body’s ability to respond to insulin. All of these benefits can contribute to better health, and improved overall heart health.
Making small but significant changes in your diet can make a world of difference in the fight against high blood pressure. Try cooking from scratch as much as possible, and avoid convenience or prepackaged foods. By cooking from scratch, you have complete control over the ingredients used.
By using fresh, quality ingredients, you can be sure that no unnecessary sodium or fat is present, and you can substitute high-risk ingredients for healthier choices. Convenience foods, while handy, often contain very high amounts of both fat and sodium, making them an unhealthy choice for anyone, even those not worried about blood pressure.
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