Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Food, Cooking, and Game Preparation Best Heart Healthy Recipes

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Thanks Sam. I knew I could count on you for some keepers.

Nope, but some people see opposing viewpoints in very simplistic terms and ends, as they've been trained to do by pundits and media.

Bob, so long as you understand the mechanism underlying arteriosclerosis, it's pretty easy. After all the explaining, it comes down to avoiding grains, grain products, and potatoes. That's the short version. Healthiest for the heart diet there can be. Eat all you want of the stuff the doctors tell you is bad for your heart (raw whole milk, free range eggs, fatty meats, cheese, etc.), while avoiding that short list and you're good to go. A healthy diet has fruits and vegetables in it every day, too, raw being best. In fact, any food that's safe to eat raw or rare is healthiest eaten that way, so for example cook those steaks and lamb chops as rare as you can stand them for keeping their nutrients at their highest possible level of quality.

Also avoid "transfats" (i.e., hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils). Stuff is poison. Made in a lab to extend shelf life of food stuffs. Messes up arterial function. Lot's of food ready-made for you to eat is loaded with it, like fried chicken for example. If you fry your own chicken, do it in lard or tallow, not Crisco, which is pure transfat. Best to avoid frying in vegetable oil, too, since that level of heat causes the formation of cancer causing free radicals, but doesn't do so in lard or tallow.

Naturally, don't eat much of what are usually termed "empty calorie" foods, like candy and such. Real food has the nutrients (vitamins, minerals, etc.) your body needs for good health. That stuff doesn't.

When I began working offshore in Kazakhstan it was immediately clear that the "meat" offered was a no-no. So I went vegetarian for each rotation last year and really cut back on meat (of any kind) when home as well. I dropped 20# and have never felt better. So I eat a lot of veggies and fruit, little bread and meat and I also drink less likker. I will turn 50 in five days. Next step is to bump up the exercise routine a couple of notches. Lastly, a full physical annually is a must in my mind, something I was not good at but required by my company beginning seven years ago. They will continue after I retire.

Tony, I'm right where you are/were after an eye-opening visit with the Doc this past week. Your post is very encouraging to me.

Thanks and Merry Christmas---David

Dude.. you couldn't even get 50 feet off the road during your elk "hunt". You've admitted you're in crappy shape..

Now you're making recommendations on diet?

Yeah, right..

We have been eating a lot of buffalo (bison) for pushing 15 years. That, along with venison, fish and chicken and a lot more fresh veggies and fruit, comprise most of our diet. My BIL and his partners/friends had a buffalo meat shop (they raise them) where anybody could walk in and buy it for several years. One of the cardiologists in town found out about it, read up on the nutritional values of same and started sending a lot of his patients to them because they were so tired of eating chicken and fish. They closed the storefront, but still have buff meat available if you call them. Of course, frying everything kind of defeats the purpose.

My last lipid panel results (11/01/11) -
CHOLESTEROL 130 (0 - 200 mg/dL)
TRIGLYCERIDE 160 (<=150 mg/dL)
HDL 42 (40 - 60 mg/dL)

For years my cholesterol was in the 300-500 range, my triglycerides were north of 1000 and my HDL was in the low 20s. Sounds strange, but finding out I had diabetes was one of the best "healthy eating" eye-openers I ever could have had. Until I got hooked up with my current Endo, I knew more than my doctor about what was going on inside me. Not to denigrate my docs, they just can't know everything about everything. Maybe a bit late to counter-act all that has gone on with me, but I have hope that I'll be around a lot longer so I can see the grandkids grow up . . . Don't wait until something nasty happens guys.

Now I just need to get more exercise . . . that's something that's been hard for me to do.

I'll chime in with a couple of ideas.

I have a recipe for protein pancakes that is really good. The batter can then be used for other things.

The basic batter is:

Non-fat or low-fat cottage cheese
Egg whites
Whole oats (not instant)
Splash vanilla extract
Sweetener (optional) such as a dash of splenda
I am on the couch and too lazy to go grab the amounts but if anyone wants it I can post it here.

All of these ingredients get liquified in the blender to a thick batter, and poured/cooked just like regular pancakes. A touch of natural peanut butter on top at the end and you're good to go. I sometimes put a light splash of sugar free syrup on top, though I try to steer clear of the fake stuff. The recipe makes great belgian waffles too. Your breakfast just consisted of whole oats, egg whites, and low-fat cottage cheese. A great ratio of protein, fat, and complex carbs. Pretty dang healthy.

The same batter without the vanilla and sweetener can be used to make chili rellenos:

Take fresh chilis, stuff each with a half stick of mozzarella (string) cheese. Dunk in a fore mentioned batter, and pan fry with a *very* light spray of olive oil. Also a very healthy meal and tasty enough for me!

Then of course, brown rice instead of white, sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes (baked sweet potato fries! Yum!), NO ENRICHED WHITE FLOUR OR HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP!

Even my recipe of the month from a few months back (Colorado high country chili) is very healthy, as you can use VERY lean beef or even venison or buffalo and there's basically nothing else in it other than veggies and spices (watch the sodium and fat if you use store bought stock... but then, I know most of you and like me, you make your own stock )

--Duck911

eat more wild game. i know where my meat comes from.

Avoiding sugar, fried foods and hydrogenated oils goes a long way towards a healthy diet.

Just went to grocery store doing some first time heart healthy shopping. Took me over 4 hours to get thru all the labels. In the end I realized just stay out of the center aisles and stick to the 3 outside walls.

Good suggestion. My doc told me of a simple foolproof diet that would go along with that shopping strategy quite well:

If it tastes good, spit it out.

John

Read the book entitled "Eat to Live" by Fuhrman. You don't have to agree with everyting he says, and your own experience with your own body is better than someone elses experience with other bodies - If you have had your cardiac arteries checked and there is no plaque and you have eaten a largely meat diet your entire life your probably ok continuing to do so. On the other hand, if you have had your cardiac arteries checked and they are full of plaque you probably might want to alter what you have been eating.

Regardless of whether you believe eating a lot of meat will hurt you, Fuhrman will remind you that the meat and potatoes diet doesn't really give you much in the way of nutritional value. His suggestion is to remember comb but change the c to a g.

Dark Greens
Onions and Garlic
mushrooms
beans and legumes
and then eat some fruit everday.

Since you're in Northern VA, this will be easy if you live near DC. Go to an Asian market and buy a bamboo steamer. They're like 10 bucks. I usually lay cabbage down on them before I put the meat in. For fish, I stuff it with cilantro, lemongrass, ginger, and onion. For a sauce, I mix up soy sauce, a little toasted sesame oil, garlic, and ginger. I heat the sauce up on the stove for 5 minutes or so.

With chicken, I just steam it by itself. I also make two sauces. One consists of grapeseed oil, green onions, and ginger. I don't heat either one. The other is siracha, lime, sugar, salt, and garlic. I ate this dish last night for new year's. I always steam some veggies in a tray over the meat. Last night it was bok choy and gai lan.

Also, with the asian markets, their are a bunch of good ones in that area. Some even sell live turtles to eat. Don't be afraid of the veggies. Almost all of them are really good just steamed. I love Amaranth leaves (purple in the middle), and my parents go crazy over water spinach or ong choy. Every time I visit home, they ask me to bring some. If it's green and leafy, you can just sautee it or cook it like spinach and it will be good.

If you have a garden or can afford to spend a ton at the farmer's market, post. My grandpa had a heart attack at 40. After that, my grandma had to do a 180 on her cooking. She found a vegetable soup recipe in a heart healthy eating magazine that is amazing. I have friends who live off brauts and potatoes who love it. I know the key to it is having good quality veggies. It's canned, but you could freeze it or just eat it fresh and it'd be just as good. I can ask my mom for the recipe.