readersdigest.co.in 47reducing animal-
fat intake and up
mono- and poly-
unsaturated fats.
Ideally, because of
our predisposition to
diabetes, heart disease
and our fairly seden-
tary lives, our fat intake
shouldn’t exceed 3–4 tsp
(for a 1,500 kcal diet). So no,
we can’t do as the Greeks do.
A tip we can take from the
Mediterranean diet is to en-
sure that most of the grains
we eat are wholegrains irre-
spective of the staples. Always
choose a variety (millets, ama-
ranth, brown rice), ensure that
fruits and vegetables go in
(6 to 9 servings, 50 per cent
of which should be raw veg-
etables in the form of salad
or vegetable juice), eat low-
fat dairy, include nuts and seeds
and healthy cold-pressed oils. Most
importantly, limit sugar, sweets
and alcohol. Adopt lighter cooking
methods. In other words, go back
to simple, unprocessed, fresh food,
much like our forefathers ate.
Here are the nutrients from both an
Indian and Mediterranean diet that will
keep your heart healthy:
ÊPotassium Regular consumption of
potassium-rich foods can help con-
trol blood pressure. Good sources are
potatoes, spinach, tomatoes, bananas,
oranges and dry fruits.
ÊCalcium This is needed for contrac-
tion and relaxation of heart muscles.
Sources are low-fat milk, yogurt, leafy
vegetables, almonds and sesame seeds.
ÊFibre High fibre helps lower systolic
and diastolic blood pressure. Include
grains, legumes, peas, soyabean, fruits
and veggies, wheat bran and oats in
your diet.
ÊOmega-3fats Oils rich in polyun-
saturated fats are heart healthy. Good
sources include fatty fish, cold-pressed
mustard oil, walnuts, almonds, pinenuts, wheat, red kidney beans, flax-
seeds, fenugreek seeds and soyabean.
ÊMagnesium Magnesium deficiency
leads to low levels of calcium and po-
tassium in the blood, as well as un-
welcome changes in the heart and the
circulatory system. Pulses, spinach,
nuts and tofu are good sources.
ÊVitamin D Maintain an optimum level
of vitamin D—it’s critical to keep in-
flammation under check. Include foods
like mushroom, salmon, tuna, egg yolks
and fortified foods such as oatmeal,
orange juice and cow’s milk.
Ishi Khosla is a clinical nutritionist and founder, http://www.
theweightmonitor.com and Whole Foods India, and
founder president of Celiac Society of India, Delhi.GO BACK TO SIMPLE,
UNPROCESSED,
FRESH FOOD,
MUCH LIKE OUR
FOREFATHERS ATE.PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED IN PREVENTION INDIA © SEPTEMBER 2015, LIVING MEDIA INDIA LIMITED.