Breakfast: Start the day with omega-3s, fiber, and antioxidants from a steaming bowl of oatmeal sprinkled with blueberries and walnuts.

Lunch: Get energized with healthy fats and vitamins from canned or grilled salmon (the wild variety has less contaminants than its farmed counterpart) and an avocado salad topped with extra virgin olive oil.

Dinner: Savor an edamame appetizer (with soy to lower cholesterol). For the main event, take your choice of grilled chicken or scallops (low in saturated fat) set off with non-fat, plain Greek yogurt (twice the protein of ordinary yogurt) on a baked sweet potato (high in vitamin C and potassium), and a spinach salad (for vitamin A, calcium, and iron) sprinkled with almond bits (for B vitamins, zinc, and selenium). Chase with red wine and finish with a piece of dark chocolate for a generous dose of plant chemicals for better blood pressure and circulation.

Douglas P. Zipes, M.D., an internationally acclaimed cardiologist, professor, author, and inventor, is an authority on pacing and electrophysiology (rhythms of the heart).

Heart-Healthy Holiday Foods The Saturday Evening Post

1. Get a Pedometer

You’d be amazed to see how many extra steps you can take in one day — grab a pedometer and watch the numbers roll as you make simple changes for your health and take the stairs, walk to work, or stroll around the neighborhood to increase your physical activity for better heart health. Tracking your progress throughout the day can be great inspiration to keep going, and walking is a simple and easy type of exercise to help lower cholesterol.

2. Find an Exercise Buddy

A healthy lifestyle requires motivation, encouragement, and a friend to lean on. Grab an exercise buddy and support each other in the challenge to lower your cholesterol. Take long walks together and encourage each other to try new types of physical activity to get the heart pumping and to keep cholesterol levels down. Enjoy each other’s company and laugh — reduced levels of stress will help your heart, too.

3. Steer Clear of Hidden Fats and Sugars

Be an informed eater. Get to know your ingredients and read the nutrition labels thoroughly. Hidden sugars and unhealthy ingredients can increase your weight, which can lead to high cholesterol. Stay away from foods that contain high levels of saturated fat, cholesterol, and hidden sources of sugar such as high fructose corn syrup, some dextrins, or evaporated cane juice.

4. Say Psyllium, Please

One of the simplest tips is to get more fiber in your diet. Viscous soluble fiber like psyllium fiber, the natural dietary fiber found in Metamucil, is proven to help lower total and “lousy” LDL cholesterol because it forms a thick gel that traps and helps remove some cholesterol, bile acids, and waste in the gut. Most Americans only get 10 to 15 grams of fiber per day through their normal diet, versus the recommended 20 to 35 grams. This is why I recommend my patients supplement low fat, low cholesterol diets with 7 grams of soluble fiber from psyllium daily, as in Metamucil.

5. Add Healthy Fat, Too

DHA is short for docosahexaenoic acid, a polyunsaturated fatty acid. Regular intake of DHA can aid in proper heart function, help lower LDL, and raise HDL, or the “healthy” cholesterol. Popular sources of DHA are salmon, sardines, tuna — but if you aren’t a seafood fan, try fish oil supplements. Don’t like fishy taste? Get the healthy fat from vegetarian supplements made with algal DHA.

Heart Healthy Living The Saturday Evening Post

Summer Pasta Primavera

Courtesy of Chef Gerard Viverito, CEC, CHE

Recipe by Chef Gerard Viverito, CEC, CHE

Makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 small shallot, finely chopped
• 2 ounces extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound asparagus, thin spears
• 1 cup green spring peas
• 1 cup fresh fava beans, shucked
• 2 heads endive, cored and julienned
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 pound Racconto® Essentials Heart Health Penne with CoroWise plant sterols
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon agave nectar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring large pot of water to boil over medium-high heat, adding 1 tablespoon of salt per quart of water. Blanch peas, asparagus, and fava beans for 5 minutes, less if smaller, then lift them out of simmering water and plunge into ice water bath. Drain, pat dry and set aside. Cut asparagus into 1-inch pieces on angle and add to bowl. Pop fava beans out of skins and reserve beans. Combine asparagus with endive, red bell pepper, cooked pasta, green peas, favas, and chopped parsley. Heat shallot and oil in small pan on stovetop over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Allow oil to cool back to room temperature. Pour vinegar into small bowl and whisk in agave and cooled shallot oil. Pour dressing over salad and mix. Season salad with salt and pepper to taste.

Marathon Pasta

Courtesy of Chef Gerard Viverito, CEC, CHE

Recipe by Chef Gerard Viverito CEC, CHE

Makes 4 servings

[Editor's note: Pasta in photo is topped with skinless chicken strips.]

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups onions, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 dozen Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced lengthwise
• 1 pound Racconto® Essentials Heart Health Penne with CoroWise plant sterols
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• 1/2 cup basil, chopped

Directions

Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in large pan. Add tablespoon of salt, then penne or other pasta. Stir once, and cook for 12 minutes or until al dente. Drain and reserve half a cup of the water to adjust sauce consistency later, if needed.

Meanwhile, place saucepan over medium heat; add oil and onions. Sweat until translucent; add garlic, cooking until soft and aromatic. Add tomatoes, bay leaves, and fennel seeds. Simmer for 10-20 minutes or until some of tomato juice has evaporated and sauce has thickened. Puree with immersion blender if desired for smoother consistency. Stir in olives and cook to heat through. Season with salt and pepper (to taste). Toss pasta with half the sauce and transfer to warm bowl. Top with more sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and basil and serve.

Healthy Pasta The Saturday Evening Post

Check nutrition labels at local and online stores for pastas, breads, and snack foods with these three “super” ingredients to boost fiber consumption, lower cholesterol, and control your appetite:

Plant sterols

Derived from corn and soybeans, plant sterols help reduce artery-clogging low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels by blocking cholesterol absorption in the gut. Consuming 800 mg of the sterols each day lowers LDL by 8 percent to 15 percent within four weeks, say federal health experts. People with high cholesterol may benefit from higher amounts, up to 2 g daily.

A new line of pastas and pasta sauces called Racconto Essentials Heart Health is fortified with 400 mg of CoroWise plant sterols per serving. The pasta also provides 28 percent of the daily fiber recommendation and is low in fat.

Chef Gerard Viverito, Director of Culinary Education
Courtesy of Gerald Viverito

Chef Gerard Viverito, Director of Culinary Education for Passionfish blends traditional recipes with nutritional ingredients for healthful results, a style of cooking that he refers to as “functional cooking.”

Click here for two Racconto pasta recipes created by Chef Viverito exclusively for Post readers.

Other products with plant sterols include: Benecol,
 Promise, and Smart Balance margarines;
 Minute Maid Premium Heart Wise Orange Juice,
 Kroger Active Lifestyle Fat Free Milk,
 Health Valley Heart Wise Cereal 
Nature and Chewy Granola Bars;
 Oroweat Whole Grain & Oat Bread;
 Right Direction Cookies;
 CocaVia Milk Chocolate Bars; and VitaTops muffin tops.

“To ensure you are getting an optimal amount of cholesterol-lowering plant sterols, look for the CoroWise logo on the label,” suggests Dr. Joe Keenan, a leading researcher on micronutrients for the heart, including plant sterols. “Combined with 45-60 minutes of aerobic exercise five to six days a week, you can help to significantly lower your risk of heart disease and still enjoy foods you love to eat!” 

Resistant starch

Commercial bread products with a Hi-Maize resistant starch logo contain a type of starch that staves off digestion until reaching the colon, where it may contribute to digestive health and offer other key benefits. Whole grains, fruits, and legumes are naturally rich in resistant starch (RS).

Click here http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2009/06/25/wellness/general-health/food-in-the-news/type-fiber.html to learn more about RS and foods that contain it.

Salba (chia)

The tiny seed of the Salvia hispanica L. plant, better known as chia and widely available online, is surprisingly nutritious. Sprinkling 2 tablespoons of Salba (a commercial chia seed product studied at the University of Toronto) on a serving of hot cereal, yogurt, and other food adds about 3.6 g of omega-3s and 6 g of fiber, along with calcium, iron, magnesium, and other nutrients to one’s diet.

For more information, products, and recipes, visit http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2009/02/11/wellness/general-health/research-front/wholegrain-promise.html

Eat for Health The Saturday Evening Post

The tiny seed of the Salvia hispanica L. plant, better known as chia and widely available online, is surprisingly nutritious. Sprinkling 2 tablespoons of Salba (a commerical chia seed product studied at the University of Toronto) on a serving of hot cereal, yogurt, and other food adds about 3.6 grams of omega-3s and 6 grams of fiber, along with calcium, iron, magnesium, and other nutrients to one’s diet. Using whole seeds costs about $1 a day. Grinding the seeds at home makes one bottle last longer. So far, clinical evidence for the grain’s health effects is limited, but preliminary data suggest possible benefits for allergies, athletic performance, heart health, and appetite control. A January 2010 study of healthy volunteers published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition concludes that Salba supplementation may protect heart health by blunting the rise in blood sugar levels after eating. The new findings may help explain Salba’s cardioprotective effect that was noted in an earlier trial of type 2 diabetics. Some people must limit their potassium intake. One banana has about 450 mg of potassium; in comparison, 2 tablespoons of Salba contains 123 mg. For more information, visit salba.info or call 888-499-8665.

Ancient Chia Grain Makes a Comeback The Saturday Evening Post

Ongoing research from around the world suggests that resistant starch, or RS, may also help manage weight as well as blood glucose and insulin levels, prompting
experts to consider RS as a new type of dietary fiber.

“Resistant starch is part of the whole fiber story,” Hope Warshaw, noted registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator, tells the Post. “Soluble fiber is totally digested in the GI tract, and insoluble fiber is not digested and offers health benefits.

“Resistant starch has qualities of both types. Bacteria in the large intestine ferment it and produce short-chain fatty acids. These substances go to work to help maintain healthy blood levels of glucose and insulin, as well as improving satiety and decreasing insulin resistance—a problem vexing millions of Americans today.”

Many U.S. adults fall short of the dietary guidelines that recommend consuming 20-35 grams of fiber daily. Getting more fiber from high-RS foods could help close the gap.

Foods such as navy beans, other legumes, and less-than-ripe bananas are naturally high in resistant starch (see right chart). Salads or sushi made with cooked and cooled rice, pasta, and potatoes are also good sources. Why cold? In general, cooking breaks down starch. Cooling, however, crystallizes the starch and makes it more resistant to digestion.

Resistant starch is also being added to several brands of bread. Aunt Millie’s Bakeries in Fort Wayne, Indiana, uses Hi-maize brand RS from National Starch Food Innovation in several of its Healthy Goodness breads, including the Whole Grain White and potato bread varieties. Other companies that incorporate Hi-maize RS into selected products include Ener-G, Racconto, and Wegman’s.

To identify foods with added RS, consumers can check the ingredient list for the words starch, corn starch, or resistant corn starch.

“It’s not being kept as a secret from people,” explains Warshaw, who is coauthor of the Real Life Guide to Diabetes, “but companies are not required to call it resistant corn starch in the ingredients. Consumers can also look for the Hi-maize logo on some products that are made with it.”

Hi-maize natural fiber may be purchased from King Arthur Flour Company (kingarthurflour.com, 1-800-827-6836) for baking at home, she adds. In general, substitute one-fourth of each cup of flour with Hi-maize when making bread, muffins, or pancakes.

Hope Warshaw, MMSc, RD, CDE is the author of several books published by the American Diabetes Association and a consultant to National Starch Food Innovation

A New Type of Fiber The Saturday Evening Post