2019-05-01_Healthy_Food_Guide_UK

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TIM

PESTRIDGE,

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IMAGES

Health

22 HEALTHY FOOD GUIDE MAY 2019

CASESTUDY

When retired civil servant

Bettina Wallace, 65, was

diagnosed with high blood

pressure, she took a long,

hard look at her diet.

I used to have a long commute

to my job, and one day on the train I felt sick and

then fainted. I went to my GP, who said my blood

pressure was very high (160/90). I didn’t take

much notice of it at the time – my mum had had

high blood pressure for years and it seemed so

common. I certainly didn’t make the link with a

higher risk of heart attack or stroke, although I

was a bit overweight. I wondered if my high blood

pressure could be hereditary.

Beginning to learn more

Looking back, I think I was in denial. I was very

active, going to work feeling fit and healthy, and

was always the life and soul of the party. I never

ate junk food – I haven’t had a fast-food burger to

this day – so I couldn’t believe I was at risk of a

heart attack.

I read about a British Heart Foundation initiative

called Hearts & Minds, an education group

reaching out to the Afro-Caribbean population.

I went along and learned a lot about the links

between a high-salt diet and high blood pressure,

and how it raises your risk of a heart attack.

Changing tastes

Some traditional Caribbean dishes can be high in

salt, and the course showed how we could reduce

salt and still make dishes tasty using herbs and

spices. I got a healthy Caribbean cookery book and

began to think about making traditional dishes

such as rice and peas healthier by swapping

ingredients such as coconut cream for dried milk

powder or plain yogurt. The food still tasted good!

After that, I ditched sugary drinks and sugar in

my tea and coffee. I now eat more fruit and

vegetables, increasing my fibre intake. My tastes

have now changed, and I don’t crave sugar or

salt any more. I also started incorporating a

45-minute walk into my day.

With all these changes, my blood pressure is

now in the normal range and I am actually lighter

than when I had my son 32 years ago. If I invite

friends for dinner at my house, they won’t find

salt at my table!

^I’ve lowered my risk of

a heart attack by eating

less fat, salt and sugar_

9.7m

people

have

already

been

diagnosed

with high

blood

pressure,

and it’s

estimated

a further

6.8m

have it

but have

not been

diagnosed

1

EAT FIVE PORTIONS OF

FRUIT AND VEG A DAY

Most of us in the UK still only

manage three. Yet a 2017

survey in the International Journal

of Epidemiology that analysed

95 studies examining the effects

of fruit and vegetables found 10

servings a day reduced the risk

of cardiovascular disease by 28%.

2

EAT TWO PORTIONS

OF FISH A WEEK One

of these should be an

oily fish for the benefit

of heart-healthy omega-3 fats.

3

GO FOR PULSES AND

WHOLEGRAINS Add

peas, lentils, beans

and chickpeas to your

meals for more fibre and choose

wholegrain bread and brown rice

and pasta.

4

CHOOSE HEALTHIER

SNACKS to avoid

saturated fats. Fruit,

unsalted nuts, seeds,

yogurt, high-fibre cereals or oat

cakes are all heart-friendly choices.

5

CUT DOWN ON SALT Eat

fewer processed dishes

and check the salt content

of gravy, stock cubes,

canned sauces and crisps.

6

GO EASY ON THE

BOOZE Too much

alcohol raises blood

pressure, so stick to

safelimitsof no more than

tsper week.

CUT SATURATED FAT

AND TRANS FATS

Eat less red meat

and processed meat,

meals, biscuits, cake

risps and replace them

urces of polyunsaturated

onounsaturated fats.

GET HEALTHIER IN 7 STEPS

Small lifestyle changes can make a big

difference to your heart. Start with these:

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14 unit

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