Death rates from heart disease in the UK are amongst the highest in Europe. But, the good news is that it is preventable through good nutrition and exercise.
In addition to doing regular cardiovascular exercise, some nutritionists believe that there are a few 'super foods' that can actually help prevent heart disease. The good news is that most of them are also low in calories and fat, so they can also help in losing weight. So eat the following 'super foods' as often as you can:
- Garlic (if you want to avoid offending your partner, try odourless garlic capsules!);
- Onions;
- Cabbage (the darker the green, the better);
- Carrots;
- Oats (porridge is great, filling and low in fat and calories);
- Barley;
- Buckwheat;
- Oily Fish (herring, mackerel, sardines or salmon);
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil;
- Red Wine (but only 1 glass per day! If you want a plan that includes red wine, try out the Rosemary Conley Red Wine Diet.)
In addition to eating the foods listed above, taking the following measures can also help to reduce the risk of heart disease.
- Keep saturated fat (the stuff in red meats and dairy products)down to a minimum. Don't forget the hidden fats in sausages, pies and burgers, a typical burger can have 33gms or more than 1 oz of fat;
- Avoid excess alcohol (sorry guys!);
- Avoid smoking;
- Reduce salt intake (don't forget hidden salt, even cornflakes have a high salt level);
- Take regular cardiovascular exercise like walking, rowing, jogging or cycling (check out our walking programme on the exercise programs page);
- Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables and drink at least 6-8 glasses of water a day.
