Cook your way to a healthier heart

Heart disease is something that just about inflicts most people. Some blame it on heredity, old age or other excuses that may come in handy. Now, we know better. We know that smoking, drinking alcohol, lack of physical activity and poor choices multiply our risk of having heart disease.

According to the National Nutrition and Healthy Survey (NNHeS 2003-2004) conducted by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute, Department of Science and Technology (FNRI-DOST), the Department of Health (DOH) and 14 medical associations, the overall prevalence of coronary arterial disease (CAD) based on previous diagnosis is 1.8 percent while the prevalence of hypertension based on a single visit among Filipino adults is 22.5 percent. This means that about one out of five Filipino adults, 20 years old and above is hypertensive.

All of us know that we should be eating foods that are nutritious and healthy. However, changing our eating habits is not the only thing that has to be done. Moreover, we can also change the way we cook our food at home. Heart healthy cooking at home does not need to be boring or bland. Here are some cooking tips for a healthier heart:

• Use less fat. The three R’s can be memorized to help remember these. These are: remove, replace and reduce. Some fatty ingredients can be removed without doing any harm to a recipe. If we cannot stand the thought of removing a fatty ingredient from a recipe, consider replacing it with other low fat-ingredient such as tokwa, tofu, beans, rootcrops, low-fat milk, etc. There are many good replacements for fatty ingredients that do relatively little harm to a recipe. If none of these suggestions is good enough, consider reducing the amount of fatty ingredient particularly saturated fats.
• Use less sugar. Nowadays, we are eating more sugar than ever. Cutting back on sugar intake is a good idea. It would also mean less calorie intake. The bulk of this sugar is coming from softdrinks, baked goods, candies and frozen milk desserts.
• Add fruits and vegetables. By adding fruits and vegetables to recipes, vitamins, minerals and fiber content increases. Local foods, such as puto and maja blanca, can be more appetizing by incorporating fruits and vegetables.
• Use lean meat. Leaner meats include chicken breast, pork tenderloin, and ground sirloin. Try to limit servings to three to four pieces of matchbox-sized meat.

The Nutritional Guidelines for Filipinos (NGF) developed by a technical working group led by the FNRI-DOST recommends eating a variety of foods everyday. The wider the variety of the diet with each group consumed in the right amount, the greater the likelihood that the body is getting all the essential nutrients it needs.

Diet, together with a healthy lifestyle, is the key to having a good and healthy heart. With just few adjustments, your home cooking will be healthier and better for our family.

For more information on food and nutrition, contact Dr. Mario V. Capanzana, Director, FNRI-DOST, DOST Compound, General Santos Avenue, Bicutan, Taguig City. Direct lines and fax: (02) 8373164; trunklines: 837-2071 locals 2296 & 2284, 837-8113, locals 318 & 319; website: www.fnri.dost.gov.ph; e-mail: mvc@fnri.dost.gov.ph, mar_v_c@yahoo.com.

FNRI-DOST S&T Media Service

Catherine Rose P. Josue