Heart Healthy Monday

After a scary morning - I received a webpage stating my blog had been deleted - I'm back.  Here is Hearth Healthy Monday:

 Heart Healthy Web link - Teeth and Heart Disease (same subject different link)

TIP- Make the vegetables and grains the focus of your meal, and use meat as the side dish.

Heart Healthy Recipe:
Cheese Toast

8 slices turkey bacon cooked until almost done, drain, and cut in half
1 small onion chopped fine (I use dehydrated onion, rehydrated - easier and I actually like the taste of them)
3/4 C (3oz) finely shredded reduced fat sharp Cheddar cheese
1 T prepared horseradish
1 T plain nonfat yogurt
8 slices french bread lightly toasted (3/4" thick)
2 small fresh tomatoes
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
fresh oregano (Opt)
Mix onion, cheese, horseradish, and yogurt.  Place toasted bread slices on a baking sheet; spread cheese mixture evenly and all the way to the edges of the bread.  Cut each tomato into 4 slices and place one tomato slice and two pieces of bacon on each slice of bread.  Broil 5 1/2 inches from heat 2 - 2 1/2 minutes or until cheese melts and bacon is crispy. Watch carefully. Sprinkle with green onions and fresh oregano.

Heart Healthy Monday on Bookvisions

Heart Healthy Monday Web Link: Heart Attack Symptoms from Mayo Clinic  which includes additional symptoms for women - some may surprise you.


Heart Healthy Tip: A USDA study published in the June 2004 issue of the Journal of Agricultural & Food Chemistry theorizes that antioxidants, which are non-vitamin nutrients in some foods, may provide protection against oxidation, a process that may be linked to conditions such as cancer, heart disease and aging. Here's the full list of the top 20 foods high in antioxidants starting with the richest source of antioxidants:

1. Small red beans (dried)
2. Wild blueberries
3. Red kidney beans
4. Pinto beans
5. Blueberries (cultivated)
6. Cranberries
7. Artichokes (cooked)
8. Blackberries
9. Prunes
10. Raspberries
11. Strawberries
12. Red delicious apples
13. Granny Smith apples
14. Pecans
15. Sweet cherries
16. Black plums
17. Russet potatoes (cooked)
18. Black beans (dried)
19. Plums
20. Gala apples

Heart Healthy Recipe

Pumpkin-Orange Muffins

Vegetable oil spray
1 egg
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp. orange zest, grated
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 375º and spray muffin tin lightly with oil spray. In a medium bowl, mix well, egg, milk, pumpkin, oil and grated orange zest. In a separate bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Mix dry ingredients into pumpkin mixture.

Spoon batter into greased muffin tin, filling each 1/2 to 2/3 full, and bake until toothpick inserted in muffin comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in muffin pan about 5-10 minutes. Remove muffins from pan and cool completely on wire shelf. Serve immediately or store in plastic bag.

Heart Healthy Monday

Heart Healthy website:  How about a Heart Healthy Refrigerator.  This is a fun site with heart healthy food tips.  There is also a children's page with games.

Heart Healthy Monday Tip: Moderation - Make changes in your diet gradually and don't deprive yourself of the things you really enjoy.  Try portion control with meals and snacks.  Never eat snacks out of the bag or box.  Put them in a small bowl. 

Heart Healthy Monday Recipe

Fruit Salad with Dressing

Variety of fruit - (for this I prefer soft fruits)

Star Fruit

blueberries

mango

banana

Raspberries

Kiwi

Peel and cut into small pieces.  Now at this point I could sit down and eat a fruit salad as is, but if you would like something a little more add this fruit dressing:

3 tablespoons fresh orange juice

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup vanilla or plain yogurt

2 tablespoons honey

Mix together and drizzle over fruit.

Heart Healthy Monday

Heart Healthy Monday Web Information:
I confess I am not a big fish eater, but I have added more to my diet recently.  I work in a medical office and was surprised one day to receive a newsletter warning against Tilapia for heart patients.  Here is a link to explain the problem:  Science Daily

We gave up Tilapia when we saw a TV show on how the fish are farmed, but in fairness I want to post this link which is more Tilapia friendly: Mayo Clinic

Heart Healthy Tip:  If you smoke -PLEASE QUIT.  My sister continued to smoke even after serious warning signs.  She died last year at age 66 of heart failure.  To the younger readers 66 years may sound old, but I promise that the older you get - the younger that will sound.

Tip #2 The following spices are good for use on fish -curry powder, dill, dry mustard, lemon juice, rosemary, marjoram, lemon pepper, thyme, paprika- experiment!

Heart Healthy Recipe - Mediterranean Baked Fish
Adapted from a recipe from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

1 lb fish fillets (sole, flounder, or sea perch)
2 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 can (16 oz) whole tomatoes, chopped up and drained, reserve juice
Note: I prefer to use some of the herb flavored diced tomatoes instead of whole
1/2 cup reserved tomato juice
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic, minced ( I don't use the garlic simply because I don't like it)
1 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup orange juice
1 Tbsp fresh orange peel, grated (I don't use the orange peel.)
1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
1/2 tsp dried oregano, crushed
1/2 tsp dried thyme, crushed
1/2 tsp dried basil, crushed
(A prepared italian herb mix can be substituted for the last four herb ingredients.)
black pepper if desired

Heat oil in large skillet.  Add onion and sauté over moderate heat for 5 minutes or until soft.  Add all remaining ingredients except the fish. Stir well and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. 

Arrange fish in 10- by 6-inch baking dish. Cover with sauce.  Bake uncovered at 375 ºF for about 15-20 minutes or until fish flakes easily.


Yield: 4 servings

Serving size:
4-oz fillet with sauce
Each serving provides:
Calories: 178
Total fat: 4 g
Saturated fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 56 mg
Sodium: 260 mg
Total fiber: 3 g
Protein: 22 g
Carbohydrates: 12 g
Potassium: 678 mg

Heart Healthy Monday - Never too early Never too Late to learn

Learn more about heart disease in women at the National Heart and Lung Institute.

Heart Healthy Tip: 
This one I do all the time. Remove fat from homemade broths, soups, and stews by preparing them ahead and chilling them. Before reheating the dish, lift off the hardened fat that formed at the surface.

Heart Healthy Recipe:   NOTE:  I add sliced red or green seedless grapes to my chicken salad.
Chicken Salad:

3 1/4 C chicken, cooked, cubed, skinless
1/4 C celery, chopped
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp salt*
3 Tbsp mayonnaise, lowfat
*Reduce sodium by removing the 1/8 tsp of added salt. New sodium content for each
serving is 127 mg.

1. Bake chicken, cut into cubes, and refrigerate.

2. In large bowl, combine rest of ingredients, add chilled chicken and mix well.


Yield: 5 servings
Serving size: 3/4 cup
Each serving provides:
Calories: 183
Total fat: 7 g
Saturated fat: 2 g
Cholesterol: 78 mg
Sodium: 201 mg
Total fiber: 0 g
Protein: 27 g
Carbohydrates: 1 g
Potassium: 240 mg

Heart Healthy Monday with recipe

Whether you are 20 years young or 70 years old it is never too early or too late to start a heart healthy routine.  Here is a link to an article on the  ABCs of Preventing Heart Disease, Stroke and Heart Attack.

Healthy Hint:  Try to consume no more than 6 grams (about 1 teaspoon) of table salt a day.

Heart Healthy Recipe:

Chicken Marsala



1/8 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 C flour
4 (5 oz total) chicken breasts, boned, skinless
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 C Marsala wine
1/2 C chicken stock, fat skimmed from top
1/2 lemon, juice only
1/2 C mushrooms, sliced
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

1. Mix together pepper, salt, and flour. Coat chicken with seasoned flour.

2. In heavy-bottomed skillet, heat oil. Place chicken breasts in skillet and brown on both sides, then remove and set aside.

3. To skillet, add wine and stir until heated. Add juice, stock, and mushrooms. Stir, reduce heat, and
cook for about 10 minutes, until sauce is partially reduced.

4. Return browned chicken breasts to skillet. Spoon sauce over chicken.

5. Cover and cook for about 5–10 minutes or until chicken is done.

6. Serve sauce over chicken. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Yield: 4 servings
Serving size: 1 chicken breast with 1/3 cup of sauce
Each serving provides:
Calories: 285
Total fat: 8 g
Saturated fat: 2 g
Cholesterol: 85 mg
Sodium: 236 mg
Total fiber: 1 g
Protein: 33 g
Carbohydrates: 11 g
Potassium: 348 mg