Dietary Tips

The problem is my body doesn't deal with it so well anymore.

I used to be able to eat anything I wanted and not worry about putting on weight (perhaps you were like this yourself when you were younger?).

Nowadays, I find I have to be very careful with certain foods or else they will stay on my stomach for ages and I will end up with a little belly.

Ah to be young again!

Of course, there is a serious point to all of this. Gaining weight (particularly across the stomach region) is a surefire way to put extra strain and pressure on your heart.

So, what foods do good for your body and which are the biggest culprits in putting yourself at risk?


The Good


Let's start with the obvious - fruits and vegetables.

These foods not only contain low amounts of calories - helping you to keep the weight off - but also are home to a number of essential vitamins and minerals that the body needs in order to repair itself and grow healthily.

Vegetable intake has been linked to a number of beneficial health effects, from reduced risk of cardiovascular disease to improved vision, as this study from  Harvard shows.

Many vegetarians and vegans insist that a diet without meat at all is the healthiest way to go.

If you think this is a lifestyle that would suit you, maybe  growing your own vegetables would be an interesting way to make a start?

Me? Personally I don't think I could live a life totally devoid of meat! But that's not to say that it wouldn't work for you.

So, what other foods are good for you? You may be suprised to know that some fats are good for the body.

People often have the misconception that ALL fats are bad for you. Not so.

Monounsaturated fats are fats that are actually essential to the development of good heart health. Foods such as oily fish, avocado and nuts are all high in these fats.

However, the fats are also highly caloric, and so should only really be eaten in moderation.

As well as these, there are any number of speciality health products that are great for the heart, and overall health as well.

Whole Foods is a great resource for checking these foods out online.


The Bad


Now, onto the foods that are particularly bad for your heart. At this point, I may have some bad news for you.

Most of the foods you like - the sweets, the deep fried meat, the sugary drinks - are pretty bad for you. Typical!

These foods have high levels of sugar and trans fats, otherwise known as saturated fats.

Trans fats are fats that have had their molecular structure altered in a certain way for a certain purpose. For example, spreads like margarine and ghee butter were originally once a form of oil that have been chemically altered so that they become solid and are spreadable.

Don't sound so good now do they?!

Unfortunately, the products that do still sound as good, such as hard cheese, sour cream, biscuits and pastries are almost as bad for you.

Of course, the key to life is all things in moderation. I'm sure you could munch on some of the above foods perhaps once a month and not feel too bad for it.

However, if you really want to beat your hypertension issues, best to stay away and stick to easy healthy recipes instead.


The Just Downright Ugly


There are certain foods which are marketed as being not-that-bad-for-you-actually, but have a bunch of hidden ingredients that make them a danger to you heart.

For instance, most packets of chips you see nowadays will tell you that they have a "20% lower salt level" and now come with "50% less fat than ever before!".

However, one of the major ingredients in crisps is sunflower oil, a cheap alternative to much healthier oils like olive oil.

Sunflower oil is swimming in saturated fats and puts an incredible strain on your heart.

I call these the Ugly foods because, well, there's nothing pretty about misleading people as to what is in the food you make.

If you find your will power waning in the middle of the day and you need something to fill yourself up, why not try a raw snack, guaranteed to not contain any additional hidden sweeteners or fats?

At least if you are eating raw food, you know what's in it!