Eat for your Heart

It's been a while since I last blogged about food. In the time since I last posted, I lost all of my post baby weight (plus 3 lbs extra--YAY for me!!), my father-in-law had a quadruple bipass (and there were 3 clogged arteries that went unfix), and my baby has grown into a toddler. All of these things matter to me when it comes to eating well for heart health.

If you've read Live Right for your Type, you know that the A blood type has a higher basal level of cortisol (the stress hormone) than other blood types. This means that managing our stress is vital for our hearts, and one of the most luxurious ways to do this is by eating healthy food because unhealthy food is a HUGE stress on your body.

I used to believe that I had to be hungry to be my ideal weight, and starving all of the time was a major stress on my body. I suffered many consequences for eating too little. Increased anxiety, missed periods, and a slowed down metabolism were just some of my symptoms--not to mention that my heart was so sad about starving to be thin. I now know that I can eat as much as I want as long as there are plenty of vegies present, I include a healthy fat, my carbohydrate is unrefined, and my protien comes from a vegetable source. When I make a meal that includes all four of these food groups, my heart is exhuberant with joy.

My father-in-law believed, like so many other Americans, that because his biomarkers for cholesterol and blood pressure were being managed by medication and in normal range, that he could eat whatever he wanted and his heart would be fine. Hydrogonated fats, refined carbs, imitation sweetners, high saturated fats etc. were all part of his diet. Honestly, they probably will continue to be (FYI: he is an A). The fact is that for every 65 people who take meds for cholesterol, only 1 heart attack is prevented. People who rely on these medications may see the numbers they want from their blood work, but heart problems will likely still be an issue.

As for my little toddler, well she LOVES food. She knows the SEE sign for food, she knows that there are always snacks in the diaper bag, and she runs to it when her blood sugar is low, and best of all...she loves broccoli and tofu as much as I do. I get so much joy from nourishing her little body with the best food available, and her daddy loves it, too. The heart of our family really revolves around the "eating" table (dinner is, like, the 8th meal we eat in a day, so it's much more than a dinner table).

RECIPES THAT ARE GOOD FOR YOUR HEART:

BEANS WITH VEGIES
1 cup of beans (either canned or soaked and cooked)
1 T olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1/4 T cumin
1/4 T paprika
1/4 T garlic (either fresh or dried)
salt to taste
2 carrots, sliced
1 bunch of chard, sliced

Heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, and cook until translucent. Add cumin, paprika, garlic, and salt. Stir in, then add carrots. Cook for a few minutes, and then add chard and beans with some reserved liquid. Let this cook for about 10 minutes so all of the flavors can marry.

Serve with a rice tortilla and guacamole. Yummy!


CURRIED SPLIT PEAS
1 T olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 T salt
1/2 T curry powder
1/4 t turmeric (optional)
1 T garlic (either fresh or dried)
2 carrots, chopped
1 cup of crimini mushrooms, chopped
1-2 cups dried split peas
3-4 cups of veggie stock

1 package of ezekiel pitas, cut into triangles
1-2 T olive oil
garlic salt

In a large stock pot, heat oil and then add onion. Cook until translucent, and then add salt, curry, turmeric, carrots, and mushrooms. Stir together, and cook until mushrooms are soft and moist. Add split peas and stock, then cook for about 45 min.

In the mean time, prepare your pitas by brushing them with oil and sprinkling garlic salt on them. Place them in a 350 degree onion for about 10 minutes. Checking on them and turning them as needed.

Dip the pitas into the think split pea mixture and enjoy!

CHERRIES WITH DARK CHOCOLATE
So I came upon this recipe when I was desparate for a low-calorie, healthy dessert. We have a bag of organic, frozed red cherries in our fridge most of the time. I took about 1/2 cup of frozen cherries, defrosted them in the microwave for about 20 seconds, and then put about 2 T of dark chocolate chips on them. YUMMY! It's better than melting the chocolate, and it's way better than cherry garcia ice cream. Try this one out!