Fixing Your "Broken" Heart through Food

No one wants a broken heart.  Many of us have had one, emotionally speaking, at one time or another and it's no treat, to be sure.  But when your heart is not well, physiologically, it's just as bad as having a broken heart, and very probably more deadly. 

February is American Heart Month and as far as your heart goes, a plant-based diet might be a pretty good idea.  When I attended the Cleveland Clinic's Obesity Summit last October, I heard no less than 3 top-level experts insist that a vegetarian or plant-based diet can retard or reverse cardiovascular disease.  So, if you have a troubled ticker (or aggravated arteries) and you would like to live as long as possible, it is to your advantage to learn to like your vegetables.

The 5 servings of fruits and vegetables recommended by the USDA, American Heart Association, and Center for Disease Control might be hard to fit in if you are filling up on bakery products, dairy products, and meat.  Here is what many people, trying to be healthy, use as their daily diet regimen:

BREAKFAST:   High fiber cereal with milk
LUNCH:  Lean turkey sandwich on wheat bread.
SNACK:  Low-fat granola bar
DINNER:  White meat chicken, rice, a few green beans
DESSERT:  Reduced fat frozen yogurt

Sorry but that's not a healthy diet.  Why?  Because it's not balanced.  It's all animal protein and processed grains.  There is only one "live" food in that whole day:  green beans.  You need "live" food to live!  The moral of the story is, when we are meat-focused, we often forget to take in our fruits and veggies.  But if we commit to limiting animal protein and processed foods we are forced to eat fruit and veggies.  Getting our "5- a-day" is easy.  Here is a day a live food-focused vegetarian might have:

BREAKFAST:  Bowl of fresh berries and nuts
LUNCH:  Salad with chickpeas and a crusty whole grain roll
SNACK:  Yogurt with fruit
DINNER:  Fresh Stir Fry of peppers, sugar snaps, carrots, and tofu over rice
DESSERT:  Poached Pear

This person's diet makes the cut!  He got his 5 servings in and is on his way to making positive changes for his overall wellness.  If he keeps this up, his heart is probably going to reward him with extended service.

Many of us are not ready to embrace the vegetarian lifestyle but DO want to improve our health.  I have been both a vegetarian and a meat eater over the years and am aware of the pros and cons of both---for example:  vegetarians get away cheaper at the grocery store, but meat eaters have an easier time navigating social situations or eating on the run.

For the not-quite-ready crowd, how about doing some vegetarian days a few times a week?  Do them when it is convenient for you.  Explore items and dishes that are new to you at your leisure.  Re-visit things you thought you hated.  See what a vegan entree is like.  Just try it.  If you can't get your 5-a-day in every day, then do it most days.  You are worth your best effort.

After your first heartbreak, you probably swore up and down that you never wanted to have another one.  Please keep that promise to yourself with your 5-a-day and have a beautiful, healthy February.