Heart diseases can creep in unannounced if you continue to live a sedentary lifestyle and eat unhealthy food. Here are two delicious and healthy recipes that are wonderful for your cardiac health. Taking care of your heart is important in this fast-paced lifestyle where people neither get time to […]
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Heart diseases can creep in unannounced if you continue to live a sedentary lifestyle and eat unhealthy food. Here are two delicious and healthy recipes that are wonderful for your cardiac health.
Taking care of your heart is important in this fast-paced lifestyle where people neither get time to exercise nor to cook a nourishing meal. As the heart attack cases in youth are on rise, one should modify their diet to add foods that are good for your heart. One can include a variety of healthy foods in their cardiac diet from seasonal fruits, vegetables, seeds, whole grains, seafood, poultry, salmon, tuna, beans, lentils, peas, fat-free milk among many others. On the other hand foods that are high in sugar, salt and saturated fats must be avoided wherever possible. One should avoid eating deep-fried stuff and prefer to stir-fry, steam or boil. (Also read: Heart health tips: Lifestyle changes to prevent heart attacks)
Here are two heart-healthy dishes shared by Dr Meghana Pasi, Nutrition Consultant at MyThali, Arogya World.
1. Steamed Karuppu Fish (black pomfret)
Mix the spices - Turmeric powder, chilli powder, pepper, salt, lemon juice and marinate the fish and keep it for a while. Place the fish in a steamer lined with banana leaf and steam the fish in a for 5-7 mins.
Ingredients for the sauce: Coconut oil, coconut milk, curry leaves, shallots, chilli, ginger and garlic paste, tomato, pepper, salt as per taste, lemon juice. Prepare the coconut curry in coconut oil. Sauté onion, ginger garlic paste, green chilli, tomato puree and add pepper powder and salt. Once it is cooked well, add coconut milk and cook for some more time.
Pour the curry on the steamed fish. Garnish with chopped bell peppers, carrot and onion rings with a dash of lemon.
Health benefits
• Pomfret fish is a fatty fish. Contains high amounts of Omega – 3 fatty acids.
• This helps in reducing bad cholesterol and inturn help in reducing risk of cardio vascular diseases.
• It also contains calcium, vitamins A, D and B12. Vitamins help in building immunity, improve vision and health of the skin and bones.
• They also help in increasing the brain functioning.
2. Sprouted Mung beans and Foxtail millet salad
Ingredients: Sprouted Mung Beans, Foxtail Millets, red, green and yellow bell peppers, onion, coriander, roasted peanuts lemon juice, chat masala, salt as per taste
Procedure: Sprout the mung a day prior. Soak the millet overnight and steam it or pressure cook it so that it becomes soft. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sprouts, foxtail millet, chopped onions, cucumber, tomatoes, carrots, green chili, cilantro, roasted peanuts, and seasonings like chaat masala, salt, black pepper, and lime juice. Toss it and serve immediately or refrigerate for 30 minutes and serve cold.
Health Benefits
This nutrition packed salad can be enjoyed as a great protein rich breakfast or snack or can even be served with a lunch/dinner meal with soup and tikki.
Here are a few benefits of sprouted mung:
• Good source of Vitamin K, Vit C and protein
• Aids in digestion
• Boosts blood circulation
• Helps in weight loss
• Rich in minerals like folate and magnesium
• Help with lowering bad cholesterol and blood pressure while enhancing good cholesterol like HDL.
Some health benefits of consuming Foxtail millets:
• Good source of Vitamin B1 which safeguards the functions of the heart.
• Regulates blood sugar level as they are rich in fiber and have low glycemic index.
• Amino acid in Foxtail millet hinder formation of fat in the liver and hence lower cholesterol level.
• Fibre gives a feeling of fullness and helps to control excessive food consumption and in turn aids in weight loss.
